Elsevier

NeuroImage

Volume 37, Issue 2, 15 August 2007, Pages 387-393
NeuroImage

Diffusivity and diffusion anisotropy of cerebellar peduncles in cases of spinocerebellar degenerative disease

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2007.05.028Get rights and content

Abstract

Purpose:

This study accessed the feasibility of using tractography-based analysis to evaluate the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) of three cerebellar peduncles in subtypes of spinocerebellar degenerative disease.

Materials and methods:

We examined 7 cases of dentatorubro-pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA), 4 cases of multiple system atrophy, cerebellar type (MSA-C), 4 cases of late cerebellar cortical atrophy (LCCA) and 8 controls. Diffusion tensor images were obtained, and tractographies of cerebellar peduncles were generated. ADC and FA along the cerebellar peduncles and volume of cerebellar peduncle were measured, and analyses of variance were made among the control and each spinocerebellar degenerative disease groups.

Results:

There were statistically significant decrease in FA and volume and increase in ADC values between DRPLA cases and controls in all three cerebellar peduncles. On the other hand, MSA-C cases mainly showed statistically significant decreased FA and volume and increased ADC values in the middle cerebellar peduncle. LCCA cases did not show prominent difference in the three cerebellar peduncles.

Conclusion:

The values of diffusivity and diffusion anisotropy of cerebellar peduncles evaluated by tractography based measurements seem to reflect characteristics of the different types of spinocerebellar degenerative diseases. Tractography-based measurements may be a feasible tool for differential diagnosis of spinocerebellar degenerative disease.

Section snippets

Introduction/purpose

In patients with spinocerebellar degenerative disease, loss of volume in cerebellar peduncles is determined by pathologic or radiologic methods (Burk et al., 1996, Murata et al., 1998a, Murata et al., 1998b, Tokumaru et al., 2003). Patterns of cerebellar peduncle impairment have been shown to differ based on variations in spinocerebellar degenerative disease (Burk et al., 1996, Murata et al., 1998a, Murata et al., 1998b, Tokumaru et al., 2003). MRI is useful for noninvasively evaluating these

Materials and methods

The subjects were 15 cases (8 men, 7 women; age range 26 to 69 years) with spinocerebellar degenerative disease, including 7 (3 men, 4 women; age range 27 to 56 years) with dentatorubro-pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA), 4 (1 man, 3 women; age range 59 to 68 years) with multiple system atrophy, cerebellar type (MSA-C) and 4 (4 men; age range 26 to 69 years) with late cerebellar cortical atrophy (LCCA). Duration of the disease, major complaint of the patients and the means for diagnosis are

Results

Examples of the tractography of DRPLA group, MSA-C group, LCCA group and control group are shown in Fig. 2. In Fig. 3, we show FA and ADC values of the three cerebellar peduncles for the four (DRPLA, MSA-C, LCCA and control) groups by tract based method. While, Fig. 4 shows FA and ADC values of cerebellar peduncles of four groups by ROI method. Numbers of voxels included in the three cerebellar peduncles are shown in Fig. 5.

FA values of SCP by using tractography based measurement showed

Discussion

Diffusion tensor imaging is a powerful tool for evaluating disorders of neuronal degeneration or neuronal loss in that it reflects loss of fiber as increased diffusivity and decreased diffusion anisotropy (Yoshiura et al., 2002, Shimono et al., 2003, Abe et al., 2004a, Abe et al., 2004b, Reading et al., 2005, Shiga et al., 2005, Taoka et al., 2005). There are several methods for measuring diffusivity and diffusion anisotropy on diffusion tensor imaging, including the “region of interest (ROI)”

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