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Neuroradiology

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01-03-2020 | Functional Neuroradiology

Abnormal brain white matter in patients with hemifacial spasm: a diffusion tensor imaging study

Authors: Chenguang Guo, Hui Xu, Xuan Niu, Samuel Krimmel, Jixin Liu, Lin Gao, Ming Zhang, Yuan Wang

Published in: Neuroradiology | Issue 3/2020

Abstract

Purpose

Refractory hemifacial contraction and comorbid emotional disorders are major annoyance suffered by patients with hemifacial spasm (HFS). It is currently unknown how whiter matter (WM) abnormalities in the brain contribute to HFS.

Methods

To investigate WM alterations in HFS, 26 patients and 29 matched healthy controls were ultimately recruited in this experiment. The whole brain diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was acquired at 3.0 Tesla scanner. Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) analysis was applied to investigate the differences of DTI metrics (fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD) axial diffusivity (AD)) between HFS patients and controls throughout brain WM. The relationship between the severity of facial spasm and affective disturbance in HFS patients, and WM abnormalities was examined using spearman correlation analyses.

Results

TBSS method showed structural alterations in the genu and body of corpus callosum; bilateral inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) and inferior frontal-occipital fasciculus (IFOF); left superior longitudinal fasciculus, anterior, posterior, and superior portion of corona radiata; left posterior limb of the internal capsule; and left posterior thalamic radiation in HFS patients compared with healthy subjects. In addition, the overlapped region of decreased FA together with increased RD and MD was merely localized in the right ILF and IFOF in the HFS group, and abnormality of RD value in this region was positively correlated with the patients’ spasm score.

Conclusions

The present study indicate extensive disruptions of WM integrity, especially the RD changes in right ILF and IFOF, which may provide alternative imaging clues for evaluating the characteristics of HFS.

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Title: Abnormal brain white matter in patients with hemifacial spasm: a diffusion tensor imaging study
Authors: Chenguang Guo
Hui Xu
Xuan Niu
Samuel Krimmel
Jixin Liu
Lin Gao
Ming Zhang
Yuan Wang
Publication date: 01-03-2020
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Neuroradiology / Issue 3/2020
Print ISSN: 0028-3940
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1920
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-019-02318-6

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abnormal brain white matter in patients with hemifacial spasm: a diffusion tensor imaging study

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

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