Analysis of white matter characteristics with tract-based spatial statistics according to diffusion tensor imaging in early Parkinson’s disease

• Published in: Neuroscience letters 2018-05, Vol.675, p.127-132
• Main Authors: Li, Xiang-Rong, Ren, Yan-De, Cao, Bo, Huang, Xuan-Li
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Anisotropy; Brain - diagnostic imaging; Brain - pathology; Corpus Callosum - diagnostic imaging; Corpus Callosum - pathology; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Diffusion Tensor Imaging; Female; Fractional anisotropy; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Male; Middle Aged; Neural Pathways - diagnostic imaging; Neural Pathways - pathology; Parkinson Disease - diagnostic imaging; Parkinson Disease - pathology; Parkinson's disease; Tract based spatial statistics; White Matter - diagnostic imaging; White Matter - pathology
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2017.11.064

•Our results showed there was extensive microstructure damage in the corpus callosum of early PD patients.•Corpus callosum is involved in the regulation of bilateral limb movement and cognition.•Thus, the bilateral motor coordination dysfunction or cognition impairment in PD patients may be ascribed to the extensive damage to the corpus callosum.•Kamagata et al. (2013) found, when compared with normal controls, the FA reduced significantly in the genu of corpus callosum, cognition score was related to the FA of genu of corpus callous, and in PD patients the FA of corpus callosum was associated with the cognition score. To analyze the microstructure of brain white matter according to diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) based on tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) in early Parkinson's disease (PD). A total of 31 age- and sex-matched early PD patients and 22 healthy volunteers were recruited in the present study. DTI was performed, and the data analyzed with fsl4.0 software. The fractional anisotropy (FA) was compared between both groups with an independent t test, and the differential area was analyzed. White matter fiber tracts with significant difference in FA between the two groups were selected, and their FAs were measured. Pearson’s correlation analysis was employed to analyze the unified Parkinson’s disease rating scale (UPDRS) score and its association with FA of different tracts. When compared with healthy volunteers, early PD patients had reduced FA in the following areas: bilateral anterior corona radiate, upper corona radiate, fasciculus arcuatus, crus anterius capsulae internae, crus posterius capsulae internae, capsula externa, posterior thalamic radiation, optic radiation, sagittal layer (including fasciculus arcuatus and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus), crura fornicis, stria terminalis, fornix, genu, body and pad of corpus callosum, left unciform fasciculus, right cingulate bundle, right medipeduncle, and arcuate fibers in the bilateral frontal, temporal, and occipital lobes (P