Dystonia is thought to be a network disorder due to abnormalities in the basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical circuit. We aimed to investigate the white matter (WM) microstructural damage of bundles connecting pre-defined subcortical and cortical regions in cervical dystonia (CD) and blepharospasm (BSP). Thirty-five patients (17 with CD and 18 with BSP) and 17 healthy subjects underwent MRI, including diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Probabilistic tractography (BedpostX) was performed to reconstruct WM tracts connecting the globus pallidus, putamen and thalamus with the primary motor, primary sensory and supplementary motor cortices. WM tract integrity was evaluated by deriving their DTI metrics. Significant differences in mean, radial and axial diffusivity between CD and HS and between BSP and HS were found in the majority of the reconstructed WM tracts, while no differences were found between the two groups of patients. The observation of abnormalities in DTI metrics of specific WM tracts suggests a diffuse and extensive loss of WM integrity as a common feature of CD and BSP, aligning with the increasing evidence of microstructural damage of several brain regions belonging to specific circuits, such as the basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical circuit, which likely reflects a common pathophysiological mechanism of focal dystonia.

Cortico-Subcortical White Matter Bundle Changes in Cervical Dystonia and Blepharospasm / Gianni', Costanza; Piervincenzi, Claudia; Belvisi, Daniele; Tommasin, Silvia; DE BARTOLO, MARIA ILENIA; Ferrazzano, Gina; Petsas, Nikolaos; Leodori, Giorgio; Fantoni, Nicoletta; Conte, Antonella; Berardelli, Alfredo; Pantano, Patrizia. - In: BIOMEDICINES. - ISSN 2227-9059. - 11:3(2023), p. 753. [10.3390/biomedicines11030753]

Cortico-Subcortical White Matter Bundle Changes in Cervical Dystonia and Blepharospasm

Costanza Gianni';Claudia Piervincenzi;Daniele Belvisi;Silvia Tommasin;Maria Ilenia De Bartolo;Gina Ferrazzano;Nikolaos Petsas;Giorgio Leodori;Nicoletta Fantoni;Antonella Conte;Alfredo Berardelli;Patrizia Pantano
2023

Abstract

Dystonia is thought to be a network disorder due to abnormalities in the basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical circuit. We aimed to investigate the white matter (WM) microstructural damage of bundles connecting pre-defined subcortical and cortical regions in cervical dystonia (CD) and blepharospasm (BSP). Thirty-five patients (17 with CD and 18 with BSP) and 17 healthy subjects underwent MRI, including diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Probabilistic tractography (BedpostX) was performed to reconstruct WM tracts connecting the globus pallidus, putamen and thalamus with the primary motor, primary sensory and supplementary motor cortices. WM tract integrity was evaluated by deriving their DTI metrics. Significant differences in mean, radial and axial diffusivity between CD and HS and between BSP and HS were found in the majority of the reconstructed WM tracts, while no differences were found between the two groups of patients. The observation of abnormalities in DTI metrics of specific WM tracts suggests a diffuse and extensive loss of WM integrity as a common feature of CD and BSP, aligning with the increasing evidence of microstructural damage of several brain regions belonging to specific circuits, such as the basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical circuit, which likely reflects a common pathophysiological mechanism of focal dystonia.
2023
basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical circuit; blepharospasm; cervical dystonia; diffusion tensor imaging; focal dystonia; probabilistic tractography; structural MRI; white matter
01 Pubblicazione su rivista::01a Articolo in rivista
Cortico-Subcortical White Matter Bundle Changes in Cervical Dystonia and Blepharospasm / Gianni', Costanza; Piervincenzi, Claudia; Belvisi, Daniele; Tommasin, Silvia; DE BARTOLO, MARIA ILENIA; Ferrazzano, Gina; Petsas, Nikolaos; Leodori, Giorgio; Fantoni, Nicoletta; Conte, Antonella; Berardelli, Alfredo; Pantano, Patrizia. - In: BIOMEDICINES. - ISSN 2227-9059. - 11:3(2023), p. 753. [10.3390/biomedicines11030753]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/1679647
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