Abstract
Background and PurposeWe evaluated cerebral white and gray matter changes in patients with iRLS in order to shed light on the pathophysiology of this disease.MethodsTwelve patients with iRLS were compared to 12 age- and sex-matched controls using whole-head diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) techniques. Evaluation of the DTI scans included the voxelwise analysis of the fractional anisotropy (FA), radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity (AD).ResultsDiffusion tensor imaging revealed areas of altered FA in subcortical white matter bilaterally, mainly in temporal regions as well as in the right internal capsule, the pons, and the right cerebellum. These changes overlapped with changes in RD. Voxel-based morphometry did not reveal any gray matter alterations.ConclusionsWe showed altered diffusion properties in several white matter regions in patients with iRLS. White matter changes could mainly be attributed to changes in RD, a parameter thought to reflect altered myelination. Areas with altered white matter microstructure included areas in the internal capsule which include the corticospinal tract to the lower limbs, thereby supporting studies that suggest changes in sensorimotor pathways associated with RLS.
Highlights
Background and PurposeWe evaluated cerebral white and gray matter changes in patients with Idiopathic restless legs syndrome (iRLS) in order to shed light on the pathophysiology of this disease
Diffusion tensor imaging revealed areas of altered fractional anisotropy (FA) in subcortical white matter bilaterally, mainly in temporal regions, as well as in the right internal capsule in areas containing the pyramidal tract to the lower limb, the pons, and right cerebellum (Table 1, Fig. 1)
We investigated white and gray matter changes in patients with iRLS using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM)
Summary
Background and PurposeWe evaluated cerebral white and gray matter changes in patients with iRLS in order to shed light on the pathophysiology of this disease. The results remain conflicting and numerous other studies show no brain changes in patients with idiopathic RLS using diverse neuroimaging techniques (Trenkwalder et al 1999; Eisensehr et al 2001; Tribl et al 2004; Celle et al 2010; Comley et al 2012; Rizzo et al 2012) or histological evaluation (Earley et al 2009)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
