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. 2012 Jan;33(1):203-12.
doi: 10.1002/hbm.21205. Epub 2011 Jan 24.

Early changes in white matter pathways of the sensorimotor cortex in premanifest Huntington's disease

Eve M Dumas  1 , Simon J A van den Bogaard, Margot E Ruber, Ralf R Reilman, Julie C Stout, David Craufurd, Stephen L Hicks, Chris Kennard, Sarah J Tabrizi, Mark A van Buchem, Jeroen van der Grond, Raymund A C Roos
Affiliations

Early changes in white matter pathways of the sensorimotor cortex in premanifest Huntington's disease

Eve M Dumas et al. Hum Brain Mapp. 2012 Jan.

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate the function-structure relationship of white matter within different stages of Huntington's disease (HD) using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).

Experimental design: From the TRACK-HD study, an early stage HD group and a premanifest gene carrier group (PMGC) were age-matched to two healthy control groups; all underwent 3-T MRI scanning of the brain. Region of interest (ROI) segmentation of the corpus callosum, caudate nucleus, thalamus, prefrontal cortex, and sensorimotor cortex was applied, and the apparent fiber pathways of these regions were analyzed. Functional measures of motor, oculomotor, cognition, and behavior were correlated to DTI measures. PRINCIPLE OBSERVATIONS: In PMGC versus controls, higher apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was seen in white matter pathways of the sensorimotor cortex (P < 0.01) and in the ROI of corpus callosum (P < 0.017). In early HD, fiber tract analysis showed higher ADC in pathways of the corpus callosum, thalamus, sensorimotor, and prefrontal region (P < 0.01). ROI analysis showed higher diffusivity in the corpus callosum and caudate nucleus (P < 0.017). Motor, oculomotor, cognition, and probability of onset within 2 and 5 years, correlated well with ADC measures of the corpus callosum (P < 0.01 - P < 0.005), sensorimotor (P < 0.01 - P < 0.005), and prefrontal region (P < 0.01).

Conclusions: Disturbances in the white matter connections of the sensorimotor cortex can be demonstrated not only in manifest HD but also in premanifest gene carriers. Connectivity measures are well related to clinical functioning. DTI measures can be regarded as a potential biomarker for HD, due to their ability to objectify changes in brain structures and their role within brain networks.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Typical example of ROIs (A) and subsequent white matter fiber pathways in a premanifest gene carrier of the corpus callosum (B), sensorimotor cortex (C), caudate nucleus (D), prefrontal cortex (E), and thalamus (F). 3D crosses depict orientation, whereby H = head, F = feet, A = anterior, P = posterior, R = right, L = left.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

  • Neuroimaging.
    Kendall K, Robertson NP. Kendall K, et al. J Neurol. 2012 Sep;259(9):2009-11. doi: 10.1007/s00415-012-6652-x. J Neurol. 2012. PMID: 22918455 No abstract available.

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