Structural changes in cerebellar outflow tracts after thalamotomy in essential tremor

Abstract Background This study set out to determine whether structural changes are present outside the thalamus after thalamotomy in patients with essential tremor (ET), specifically in the cerebellorubrothalamic tracts. We hypothesized that diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) would detect these changes....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Parkinsonism & related disorders 2014-05, Vol.20 (5), p.554-557
Main Authors: Buijink, Arthur W.G, Caan, Matthan W.A, Contarino, M. Fiorella, Schuurman, P. Richard, van den Munckhof, Pepijn, de Bie, Rob M.A, Olabarriaga, Silvia Delgado, Speelman, Johannes D, van Rootselaar, Anne-Fleur
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Anisotropy
Cerebellum
Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Essential tremor
Essential Tremor - pathology
Essential Tremor - surgery
Female
Functional Laterality
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Middle Cerebellar Peduncle - pathology
Neurology
Thalamotomy
Thalamus - surgery
Tremor
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Summary:Abstract Background This study set out to determine whether structural changes are present outside the thalamus after thalamotomy in patients with essential tremor (ET), specifically in the cerebellorubrothalamic tracts. We hypothesized that diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) would detect these changes. Methods We collected DTI scans and analyzed differences in Fractional Anisotropy (FA) and Mean Diffusivity (MD) between the left and right superior and middle cerebellar peduncle in ET patients that have undergone unilateral, left, thalamotomy and ET patients that did not undergo thalamotomy (control group). We used classical ROI-based statistics to determine whether changes are present. Results We found decreased FA and increased MD values in the right superior cerebellar peduncle leading to the left, lesioned thalamus, only in the thalamotomy group. Conclusions Our study suggests long-term structural changes in the cerebellorubrothalamic tract after thalamotomy. This contributes to further understanding of the biological mechanism following surgical lesions in the basal ganglia.
ISSN:1353-8020
1873-5126
DOI:10.1016/j.parkreldis.2014.02.020