Association between structural and functional corticospinal involvement in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis assessed by diffusion tensor MRI and triple stimulation technique. Issue 4 (26th February 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Grapperon, Aude‐Marie; Verschueren, Annie; Duclos, Yann; Confort‐Gouny, Sylviane; Soulier, Elisabeth; Loundou, Anderson D.; Guye, Maxime; Cozzone, Patrick J.; Pouget, Jean; Ranjeva, Jean‐Philippe; Attarian, Shahram
• Is Part Of: Muscle & nerve. Volume 49:Issue 4(2014:Apr.)
• Page Start: 551
• Page End: 557
• Publication Date: 2014-02-26
• Subjects: Neuromuscular diseases -- Periodicals; Muscles -- Periodicals; Nerves -- Periodicals; 616.74
• DOI: 10.1002/mus.23957
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0148-639X

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>ABSTRACT</title> <p> <italic>Introduction</italic>: We investigated the functional and structural integrity of the corticospinal tract (CST) using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and the triple stimulation technique (TST) in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). <italic>Methods</italic>: Fourteen patients with ALS, 13 healthy controls (HCs), and 6 patients with lower motor neuron (LMN) syndrome underwent DTI and TST. <italic>Results</italic>: The mean diffusivity was higher in ALS patients than HCs (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.01). The TST ratio was lower in ALS patients compared with HCs (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.001) and in LMN patients compared with HCs (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05). The increase in the mean diffusivity was correlated with the decrease in the TST ratio (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.01). <italic>Conclusions</italic>: Significant correlations exist between the DTI and TST results, indicating both structural and functional involvement of the CST in patients with ALS. Muscle Nerve 49:551–557, 2014</p> </abstract>