Gray Matter Changes In Patients Research Articles

Gray matter abnormalities and associated familial risk endophenotype in individuals with first-episode bipolar disorder: Evidence from whole-brain voxel-wise meta-analysis.

Gray matter abnormalities have been widely reported in individuals with and at familial risk for bipolar disorder (BD). However, inconsistent findings were reported, and whether shared abnormalities exist between at-risk individuals and patients which can represent an endophenotype remained unclear. This meta-analysis aimed at identifying robust patterns of gray matter changes in patients with first-episode BD (FEBD) and associated risk endophenotype of BD. A systematic literature search was performed to identify eligible voxel-based morphometry studies comparing FEBD patients and healthy controls. Findings of included studies were integrated using the Seed-based d Mapping toolbox. Common and distinct patterns of gray matter abnormalities between FEBD patients and unaffected at-risk individuals were explored. A total of 16 VBM studies comparing 411 FEBD patients and 521 controls were included. FEBD patients showed increased gray matter volume in the cerebellum, posterior cingulate cortex and striatum, and decreased gray matter volume in the medial superior frontal gyrus and gyrus rectus. No common abnormalities were identified between FEBD patients and unaffected at-risk individuals. More gray matter loss in the medial superior frontal gyrus and insula were found in FEBD patients relative to unaffected at-risk individuals. These findings revealed robust gray matter abnormalities in the cortico-striato-cerebellar and default mode network regions in FEBD, and implicated that gray matter deficits may not represent a familial risk endophenotype of BD.

Voxel-based meta-analysis of gray matter abnormalities in idiopathic dystonia.

Neuroimaging studies have reported gray matter changes in patients with idiopathic dystonia but with considerable variations. Here, we aimed to investigate the convergence of dystonia-related gray matter changes across studies. The whole brain voxel-based morphometry studies comparing idiopathic dystonia and healthy controls were systematically searched in the PubMed, Web of Science and Embase. Meta-analysis of gray matter changes was performed using the anisotropic effect size-based signed differential mapping. Twenty-eight studies comparing 701 idiopathic dystonia patients and 712 healthy controls were included in the meta-analysis. Compared to healthy controls, idiopathic dystonia patients showed increased gray matter in bilateral precentral and postcentral gyri, bilateral putamen and pallidum, right insula, and left supramarginal gyrus, while decreased gray matter in bilateral temporal poles, bilateral supplementary motor areas, right angular gyrus, inferior parietal gyrus and precuneus, left insula and inferior frontal gyrus. These findings remained robust in the jackknife sensitivity analysis, and no significant heterogeneity was detected. Subgroup analyses of different phenotypes of dystonia were performed to further confirm the above findings. The meta-analysis showed that consistent widespread gray matter abnormalities were shared in different subtypes of idiopathic dystonia and were not restricted to the corticostriatal circuits.

The behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia: Linking cerebellar MRI alterations to behavioral and affective symptoms

Frontotemporal dementias (FTDs) are progressive neurodegenerative disorders associated with grey matter (GM) loss in frontal and temporal brain regions (Rascovsky et al., 2011) and presenting with marked behavioral symptoms and/or language deficits. The Behavioral variant of FTD (bvFTD) is clinically characterized by insidious changes in personality, interpersonal conduct and emotion processing (Piguet, et al. 2017). Considering its role in higher-level functions (Schmahmann & Sherman, 1998) the cerebellum was recently proposed to be implicated in FTD pathophysiology (Yu Chen et al.,2019) although its specific contribution to bvFTD symptoms still needs to be clarified. Aim of the present study was to assess cerebellar GM changes in patients with bvFTD and their potential association with affective symptoms.

Cortical and subcortical gray matter changes in patients with chronic tinnitus sustaining after vestibular schwannoma surgery

Tinnitus is attributed to partial sensory deafferentation resulting in a central maladaptive neuroplasticity. Unfortunately, the agent of deafferentation is usually unknown or irreversible. In patients with unilateral vestibular schwannoma (VS), however, the auditory nerve is affected by a benign tumor. Hence, removal of the tumor can cease the tinnitus. In turn, sustaining complaints after surgery indicate cortical neuroplasticity. The present study is a cross sectional study which aims to track cortical structural changes by surface-based morphometry in 46 VS patients with sustained (i.e. centralized) or ceased (i.e. peripheral) tinnitus after surgery. A volumetric analysis of cortical and subcortical gray matter (GM) anatomy was performed on preoperative high-resolution MRI and related to the presence of hearing impairment, pre- and/or postoperative tinnitus. Patients with sustained (i.e. chronic) tinnitus showed an increased GM volume of the bilateral caudate nucleus, the contralateral superior colliculus, the middle frontal and middle temporal gyrus, the fusiform gyrus as well as the ipsilateral pars orbitalis when compared to those patients in whom tinnitus ceased postoperatively. Chronic tinnitus in VS patients is associated with characteristic structural changes in frontal, temporal and subcortical areas. Notably, a significant GM change of the caudate nucleus was detected providing further support for the striatal gaiting model of tinnitus.

Prefrontal and hippocampal atrophy using 7-tesla magnetic resonance imaging in patients with Parkinson's disease.

BackgroundThe pathology of Parkinson’s disease leads to morphological changes in brain structure. Currently, the progressive changes in gray matter volume that occur with time and are specific to patients with Parkinson’s disease, compared to healthy controls, remain unclear. High-tesla magnetic resonance imaging might be useful in differentiating neurological disorders by brain cortical changes.PurposeWe aimed to investigate patterns in gray matter changes in patients with Parkinson’s disease by using an automated segmentation method with 7-tesla magnetic resonance imaging.Material and MethodsHigh-resolution T1-weighted 7 tesla magnetic resonance imaging volumes of 24 hemispheres were acquired from 12 Parkinson’s disease patients and 12 age- and sex-matched healthy controls with median ages of 64.5 (range, 41–82) years and 60.5 (range, 25–74) years, respectively. Subgroup analysis was performed according to whether axial motor symptoms were present in the Parkinson’s disease patients. Cortical volume, cortical thickness, and subcortical volume were measured using a high-resolution image processing technique based on the Desikan-Killiany-Tourville atlas and an automated segmentation method (FreeSurfer version 6.0).ResultsAfter cortical reconstruction, in 7 tesla magnetic resonance imaging volume segmental analysis, compared with the healthy controls, the Parkinson’s disease patients showed global cortical atrophy, mostly in the prefrontal area (rostral middle frontal, superior frontal, inferior parietal lobule, medial orbitofrontal, rostral anterior cingulate area), and subcortical volume atrophy in limbic/paralimbic areas (fusiform, hippocampus, amygdala).ConclusionWe first demonstrated that 7 tesla magnetic resonance imaging detects structural abnormalities in Parkinson’s disease patients compared to healthy controls using an automated segmentation method. Compared with the healthy controls, the Parkinson’s disease patients showed global prefrontal cortical atrophy and hippocampal area atrophy.

Regional Brain Gray Matter Changes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) show cognitive and mood impairment, indicating potential for brain injury in regions that control these functions. However, brain tissue integrity in cognition, anxiety, and depression regulatory sites, and their associations with these functional deficits in T2DM subjects remain unclear. We examined gray matter (GM) changes in 34 T2DM and 88 control subjects using high-resolution T1-weighted images, collected from a 3.0-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging scanner, and assessed anxiety [Beck Anxiety Inventory], depressive symptoms [Beck Depression Inventory-II], and cognition [Montreal Cognitive Assessment]. We also investigated relationships between GM status of cognitive and mood control sites and these scores in T2DM. Significantly increased anxiety (p = 0.003) and depression (p = 0.001), and reduced cognition (p = 0.002) appeared in T2DM over controls. Decreased GM volumes appeared in several regions in T2DM patients, including the prefrontal, hippocampus, amygdala, insular, cingulate, cerebellum, caudate, basal-forebrain, and thalamus areas (p < 0.01). GM volumes were significantly associated with anxiety (r = −0.456,p = 0.009), depression (r = −0.465,p = 0.01), and cognition (r = 0.455,p = 0.009) scores in regions associated with those regulations (prefrontal cortices, hippocampus, para hippocampus, amygdala, insula, cingulate, caudate, thalamus, and cerebellum) in T2DM patients. Patients with T2DM show brain damage in regions that are involved in cognition, anxiety, and depression control, and these tissue alterations are associated with functional deficits. The findings indicate that mood and cognitive deficits in T2DM patients has brain structural basis in the condition.

Longitudinal gray matter changes of the pain matrix in patients with carbon monoxide intoxication: A voxel-based morphometry study

PurposeCarbon monoxide (CO) intoxication causes gray matter (GM) changes and headache symptom in patients with CO intoxication, but the headache-associated GM changes are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to perform a voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis to investigate longitudinal GM changes of brain pain matrix in patients with CO intoxication. MethodsThis prospective study enrolled 24 patients with CO intoxication and 20 healthy controls. Whole brain high-resolution T1-weighted images were acquired in both groups and were repeated in patients at 1 week, and 1, 3, and 9 months after CO exposure. VBM was performed to detect global GM changes in patients with CO intoxication, and the automated anatomical labeling template was utilized to estimate the distribution of significant GM clusters in the brain. ResultsGM volumes were significantly decreased mainly in the frontal and occipital lobes, including several pain-matrix regions 1 week after CO intoxication. The regions with significant GM changes further involved the central GM structures and the periaqueductal gray (pain-modulating center) at 1 and 3 months after CO intoxication, but the alterations were partially normalized in the frontal lobe and cerebellum 9 months after CO intoxication. Significant negative correlations were revealed between GM volume and duration of coma in the pain matrix regions. Moreover, five patients exhibited delayed neuropsychiatric sequelae (DNS) and had greater GM volume changes than non-DNS patients. ConclusionVBM analysis is helpful to understand the longitudinal GM changes of the pain matrix in patients with CO intoxication.

Grey matter changes in patients with vestibular migraine

To identify structural changes in the brain regions of patients with vestibular migraine (VM) so as to better understand its pathophysiology. The differences in grey matter (GM) in patients with VM, patients with migraine without aura (MWoA), and healthy controls (HC) were investigated. Using a GE Signa 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, 3D structural images were acquired from 18 VM, 21 MWoA, and 21 age-, gender-, and education level-matched HC using a T1-weighted magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition gradient-echo (MPRAGE) sequence. The volumetric abnormalities of GM were estimated by voxel-based morphometry. Analysis of variance and Bonferroni multiple comparisons were applied. Compared with HC, patients with VM had significantly increased GM volume of the right medial superior frontal gyrus (p=0.008) and the right angular gyrus (p=0.009). Compared to patients with MWoA, patients with VM also had significantly increased volume of the right medial superior frontal gyrus (p=0.001), the right angular gyrus (p=0.008), and the left middle frontal gyrus (p=0.001). The GM volume of some brain regions of patients with VM is significantly larger than the other two groups. The increased GM volume in these brain regions in patients with VM may be related to self-adaptation of the nervous system, leading to an abnormal brain sensitization. Some of the brain regions with increased GM volume identified in this study were involved in assessment, integration, and expectations of pain and were strongly related to mood and anxiety.

Grey Matter changes in treatment-resistant depression during electroconvulsive therapy

Introduction: 20–30% of depressed patients experience Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD). Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) remains the treatment of choice for TRD. However, the exact mechanism of ECT remains unclear. We aim to assess grey matter changes in patients with TRD undergoing bilateral ECT treatment at different points during and after treatment. Methods: Patients are recruited at the University Hospital of Toulouse. Eligibility criteria include a diagnosis of TRD and an age between 50 and 70 years old. Patients received clinical assessments (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale) and structural scans (MRI) at three points: baseline (within 48 h before the first ECT); V2 (after the first ECT considered effective); and V3 (within 1 week of completing ECT). Results: At baseline, controls had significantly higher cortical thickness than patients in the fusiform gyrus, the inferior, middle and superior temporal gyrus, the parahippocampal gyrus and the transverse temporal gyrus (respectively: t(35)=2.7, p = 0.02; t(35)=2.89, p = 0.017; t(35)=3.1, p = 0.015; t(35)=3.6, p = 0.009; t(35)=2.37, p = 0.031; t(35)=2.46, p = 0.03). This difference was no longer significant after ECT. We showed an increase in cortical thickness in superior temporal gyrus between (i) baseline and V3 (t(62)=-3.43 p = 0.009) and (ii) V2 and V3 (t(62)=-3.42 p = 0.009). We showed an increase in hippocampal volume between (i) baseline and V3 (t(62)=-5.23 p < 0.001) and (ii) V2 and V3 (t(62)=-5.3 p < 0.001). Conclusion: We highlight that there are grey matter changes during ECT treatment in a population with TRD compared to a healthy control population. These changes seem to occur after several rounds of ECT.

Quantitative assessment of gray matter changes in patients with schizophrenia by MRI approach

Quantitative assessment of gray matter changes in patients with schizophrenia by MRI approach

Regional gray matter abnormality in hepatic myelopathy patients after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt: a voxel-based morphometry study.

Hepatic myelopathy is a complication seen in patients with chronic liver failure with physiologic or iatrogenic portosystemic shunting. The main symptom is progressive lower limb dyskinesia. The role of the brain motor control center in hepatic myelopathy is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the gray matter changes in patients with hepatic myelopathy secondary to transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt and to examine their clinical relevance. This was a cross-sectional study. Twenty-three liver failure patients with hepatic myelopathy (hepatic myelopathy group), 23 liver failure patients without hepatic myelopathy (non-hepatic myelopathy group) after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, and 23 demographically matched healthy volunteers were enrolled from March 2014 to November 2016 at Xijing Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University (Fourth Military Medical University), China. High-resolution magnetization-prepared rapid gradient-echo brain imaging was acquired. Group differences in regional gray matter were assessed using voxel-based morphometry analysis. The relationship between aberrant gray matter and motor characteristics was investigated. Results demonstrated that compared with the non-hepatic myelopathy group, gray matter volume abnormalities were asymmetric, with decreased volume in the left insula (P = 0.003), left thalamus (P = 0.029), left superior frontal gyrus (P = 0.006), and right middle cingulate cortex (P = 0.021), and increased volume in the right caudate nucleus (P = 0.017), corrected with open-source software. The volume of the right caudate nucleus in the hepatic myelopathy group negatively correlated with the lower limb clinical rating of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (r = -0.53, P = 0.01). Compared with healthy controls, patients with and without hepatic myelopathy exhibited overall increased gray matter volume in both thalami, and decreased gray matter volume in both putamen, as well as in the globus pallidus, cerebellum, and vermis. The gray matter abnormalities we found predominantly involved motor-related regions, and may be associated with motor dysfunction. An enlarged right caudate nucleus might help to predict weak lower limb motor performance in patients with preclinical hepatic myelopathy after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Xijing Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University (Fourth Military Medical University), China (approval No. 20140227-6) on February 27, 2014.

Neurological soft signs and grey matter abnormalities in individuals with ultra-high risk for psychosis.

Neurological soft signs (NSSs), conventionally defined as subtle neurological abnormalities, are frequently found in individuals with schizophrenia. Many neuroimaging studies have also reported that NSSs are associated with grey matter changes in patients with schizophrenia at different stages of the illness. However, these findings may be confounded by the effect of antipsychotic medications, chronicity, and duration of untreated psychosis. Examining NSSs in individuals with ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis may help to identify the neuroanatomical substrates of NSSs related to the illness itself and to avoid these potential confounding effects. A sample of 21 individuals with UHR were included in the present study. NSSs were rated using the abridged version of the Cambridge Neurological Inventory. Grey matter volume was assessed using optimized voxel-based morphometry on images acquired by a high-resolution 3-T magnetic resonance imaging scanner. We found that higher NSS scores in individuals with UHR were associated with decreased grey matter volume at the superior and medial frontal cortex, the rectal cortex, the pre- and post-central cortex, the insula, the caudate, and the cerebellum. Our results suggest that these brain structural characteristics may represent the neuroanatomical substrate of NSSs in individuals with UHR. These findings contribute to the understanding of the intrinsic features of psychosis associated with NSSs and may provide insights into pre-schizophrenia pathophysiology.

A Meta-analysis of Voxel-based Brain Morphometry Studies in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Gray matter (GM) anomalies may represent a critical pathology underlying obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, the evidence regarding their clinical relevance is inconsistent. We conducted a meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometry (VBM) studies of patients with OSA to identify their brain abnormalities. A systematic search was conducted based on PRISMA guidelines, and a meta-analysis was performed using the anisotropic effect-size-based algorithms (ASE-SDM) to quantitatively estimate regional GM changes in patients with OSA. Fifteen studies with 16 datasets comprising 353 untreated patients with OSA and 444 healthy controls were included. Our results revealed GM reductions in the bilateral anterior cingulate/paracingulate gyri (ACG/ApCG), left cerebellum (lobules IV/V and VIII), bilateral superior frontal gyrus (SFG, medial rostral part), right middle temporal gyrus (MTG), and right premotor cortex. Moreover, GM reductions in the bilateral ACG/ApCG were positively associated with body mass index (BMI) and age among patients with OSA, and GM reductions in the SFG (medial rostral part) were negatively associated with Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) scores and sex (male). These abnormalities may represent structural brain underpinnings of neurocognitive abnormalities and respiratory-related abnormalities in OSA. In particular, this study adds to Psychoradiology, which is a promising subspecialty of clinical radiology mainly for psychiatric disorders.

Longitudinal Study of Gray Matter Changes in Parkinson Disease.

The pathology of Parkinson disease leads to morphological brain volume changes. So far, the progressive gray matter volume change across time specific to patients with Parkinson disease compared controls remains unclear. Our aim was to investigate the pattern of gray matter changes in patients with Parkinson disease and to explore the progressive gray matter volume change specific to patients with Parkinson disease with disease progression by using voxel-based morphometry analysis. Longitudinal cognitive assessment and structural MR imaging of 89 patients with Parkinson disease (62 men) and 55 healthy controls (33 men) were from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative data base, including the initial baseline and 12-month follow-up data. Two-way analysis of covariance was performed with covariates of age, sex, years of education, imaging data from multiple centers, and total intracranial volume by using Diffeomorphic Anatomical Registration Through Exponentiated Lie Algebra tool from SPM8 software. Gray matter volume changes for patients with Parkinson disease were detected with decreased gray matter volume in the frontotemporoparietal areas and the bilateral caudate, with increased gray matter volume in the bilateral limbic/paralimbic areas, medial globus pallidus/putamen, and the right occipital cortex compared with healthy controls. Progressive gray matter volume decrease in the bilateral caudate was found for both patients with Parkinson disease and healthy controls, and this caudate volume was positively associated with cognitive ability for both groups. The progressive gray matter volume increase specific to the patients with Parkinson disease was identified close to the left ventral lateral nucleus of thalamus, and a positive relationship was found between the thalamic volume and the tremor scores in a subgroup with tremor-dominant patients with Parkinson disease. The observed progressive changes in gray matter volume in Parkinson disease may provide new insights into the neurodegenerative process. The current findings suggest that the caudate volume loss may contribute to cognitive decline in patients with Parkinson disease and the progressive thalamus enlargement may have relevance to tremor severity in Parkinson disease.

DTI and VBM reveal white matter changes without associated gray matter changes in patients with idiopathic restless legs syndrome.

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.

Altered regional cortical thickness and subcortical volume in women with primary dysmenorrhoea.

There is emerging evidence that primary dysmenorrhoea (PDM) is associated with altered brain function and structure. However, few studies have investigated changes in regional cortical thickness and subcortical volumes in PDM patients. The purpose of this study was to characterize differences in both cortical thickness and subcortical volumes between PDM patients and healthy controls (HCs). T1-weighted magnetic resonance images were obtained from 44 PDM patients and 32 HCs matched for age and handedness. Cortical thickness was compared in multiple locations across the continuous cortical surface, and subcortical volumes were compared on a structure-by-structure basis. Correlation analysis was then used to evaluate relationships between the clinical symptoms and abnormal brain structure in PDM. PDM patients had significantly increased cortical thickness in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), insula (IN), primary/secondary sensory area (SI/SII), superior temporal cortex (STC), precuneus (pCUN) and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). Meanwhile, significantly decreased subcortical volumes of the caudate, thalamus and amygdala were found in PDM patients. Moreover, there were significant positive correlations between the PDM-related duration and the OFC, SFC, STC and IN. The MPQ scores were positively correlated with the pCUN. These findings provide further evidence for grey matter changes in patients with PDM, and in addition, the results support relationships between the structural abnormalities and their role in symptom production. All these results are likely to be potential valuable to provide us with direct information about the neural basis of PDM.

Subcortical grey matter changes in untreated, early stage Parkinson's disease without dementia

Previous MRI studies have investigated cortical or subcortical grey matter changes in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), yielding inconsistent findings between the studies. We therefore sought to determine whether focal cortical or subcortical grey matter changes may be present from the early disease stage. We recruited 49 untreated, early stage PD patients without dementia and 53 control subjects. Voxel-based morphometry was used to evaluate cortical grey matter changes, and automated volumetry and shape analysis were used to assess volume changes and shape deformation of the subcortical grey matter structures, respectively. Voxel-based morphometry showed neither reductions nor increases in grey matter volume in patients compared to controls. Compared to controls, PD patients had significant reductions in adjusted volumes of putamen, nucleus accumbens, and hippocampus (corrected p<0.05). Vertex-based shape analysis showed regionally contracted area on the posterolateral and ventromedial putamen bilaterally in PD patients (corrected p<0.05). No correlations were found between cortical and subcortical grey matter and clinical variables representing disease duration and severity. Our results suggest that untreated, early stage PD without dementia is associated with volume reduction and shape deformation of subcortical grey matter, but not with cortical grey matter reduction. Our findings of structural changes in the posterolateral putamen and ventromedial putamen/nucleus accumbens could provide neuroanatomical basis for the involvement of motor and limbic striatum, further implicating motor and non-motor symptoms in PD, respectively. Early hippocampal involvement might be related to the risk for developing dementia in PD patients.

WHITE MATTER INTEGRITY AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO PTSD AND CHILDHOOD TRAUMA-A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

Recent reviews and meta-analyses reported structural gray matter changes in patients suffering from adult-onset posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and in subjects with and without PTSD who experienced childhood trauma. However, it remains unclear if such structural changes are also affecting the white matter. The aim of this systematic review is to provide a comprehensive overview of all empirical investigations measuring white matter integrity in populations affected by PTSD and/or childhood trauma. To this end, results from different methodological approaches were included. Twenty-five articles are reviewed of which 10 pertained to pediatric PTSD and the effects of childhood trauma measured during childhood, seven to the effects of childhood trauma measured during adulthood, and eight to adult-onset PTSD. Overall, reductions in white matter volume were reported more often than increases in these populations. However, the heterogeneity of the exact locations indicates only a weak overlap across published studies. In addition, a meta-analysis was carried out on seven whole-brain diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies in adults. Significant clusters of both increases and decreases were identified in various structures, most notably the cingulum and the superior longitudinal fasciculus. Future research directions are discussed.

Progressive gray matter changes in patients with congenital central hypoventilation syndrome

BackgroundCongenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) patients show brain injury in areas that control chemosensory, autonomic, motor, cognitive, and emotion functions, which are deficient in the condition. Many of these abnormal characteristics are present from the neonatal period; however, it is unclear if tissue injury underlying the characteristics progressively worsens with time. We hypothesized that several brain areas in CCHS subjects would show increased gray matter volume loss over time.MethodsWe collected high-resolution T1-weighted images twice (four years apart) from 7 CCHS (age at first study, 16.1±2.7 years; 4 males) and 3 control subjects (15.9±2.1 years; 3 males) using a 3.0-Tesla MRI scanner, and evaluated regional gray matter volume changes with voxel-based-morphometry procedures.ResultsMultiple brain sites in CCHS, including frontal, prefrontal, insular and cingulate cortices, caudate nuclei and putamen, ventral temporal and parietal cortices, and cerebellar cortices showed significantly reduced gray matter volume over time. Only limited brain areas, including sensory, temporal, and medullary regions emerged with increased gray matter at the later age.ConclusionsCCHS patients show reduced gray matter volume with age progression in autonomic, respiratory, and cognitive regulatory areas, an outcome that may contribute to deterioration of functions found in the syndrome with increasing age.

P02-336 Longitudinal voxel - based morphometry to evaluate progressive gray mater changes in first - episode schizophrenia

BackgroundAlthough longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have shown that various brain regions undergo progressive tissue loss during the early phases of schizophrenia, regional pattern of these changes remain unclear.MethodsLongitudinal MRI data were obtained from 18 (12 males and 6 females) patients with first-episode schizophrenia and 20 (11 males and 9 females) healthy controls and at baseline and follow-up with mean scan interval of 2.7 years. To compare gray matter changes over time between patients and controls were evaluated with voxel-based morphometry (VBM) using SPM8 following the longitudinal DARTEL protocol.ResultsIn both groups of patient and control longitudinal gray mater reduction was observed in various brain regions including lateral and medial frontal regions and superior temporal region. Excessive decrease in gray matter was found in patients as compared to healthy controls in the left superior temporal region and right inferior frontal region.DiscussionOur findings suggest that there are differing longitudinal gray matter changes in patients with schizophrenia during the early phases of the illness as compared to healthy individuals.