Abstract
BackgroundCystic fibrosis (CF) patients present with a variety of symptoms, including mood and cognition deficits, in addition to classical respiratory, and autonomic issues. This suggests that brain injury, which can be examined with non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is a manifestation of this condition. However, brain tissue integrity in sites that regulate cognitive, autonomic, respiratory, and mood functions in CF patients is unclear. Our aim was to assess regional brain changes using high-resolution T1-weighted images based gray matter (GM) density and T2-relaxometry procedures in CF over control subjects.MethodsWe acquired high-resolution T1-weighted images and proton-density (PD) and T2-weighted images from 5 CF and 15 control subjects using a 3.0-Tesla MRI. High-resolution T1-weighted images were partitioned to GM-tissue type, normalized to a common space, and smoothed. Using PD- and T2-weighted images, whole-brain T2-relaxation maps were calculated, normalized, and smoothed. The smoothed GM-density and T2-relaxation maps were compared voxel-by-voxel between groups using analysis of covariance (covariates, age and sex; SPM12, p < 0.001).ResultsSignificantly increased GM-density, indicating tissues injury, emerged in multiple brain regions, including the cerebellum, hippocampus, amygdala, basal forebrain, insula, and frontal and prefrontal cortices. Various brain areas showed significantly reduced T2-relaxation values in CF subjects, indicating predominant acute tissue changes, in the cerebellum, cerebellar tonsil, prefrontal and frontal cortices, insula, and corpus callosum.ConclusionsCystic fibrosis subjects show predominant acute tissue changes in areas that control mood, cognition, respiratory, and autonomic functions and suggests that tissue changes may contribute to symptoms resulting from ongoing hypoxia accompanying the condition.
Highlights
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a progressive genetic disorder predominately affecting lungs, liver, and the pancreas and intestine exocrine glands
Our study aimed to examine regional gray matter (GM) density changes, as well as tissue changes using T2-relaxometry procedures in CF patients over healthy controls
We found that CF patients had a lower overall Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores and this change was most significant in the visuospatial/executive sub domains
Summary
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a progressive genetic disorder predominately affecting lungs, liver, and the pancreas and intestine exocrine glands. High rates of anxiety and depression found in CF lead to non-adherence of prescribed treatment, affecting health outcomes and health related quality of life [9] Such psychological, including mood and cognitive functions, and autonomic deficits [10, 11] might result from tissue dysfunction in multiple brain regions; there are no previous studies examining brain changes in CF patients. Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients present with a variety of symptoms, including mood and cognition deficits, in addition to classical respiratory, and autonomic issues. This suggests that brain injury, which can be examined with non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is a manifestation of this condition. Our aim was to assess regional brain changes using high-resolution T1-weighted images based gray matter (GM) density and T2-relaxometry procedures in CF over control subjects
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
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