Grey matter changes in motor conversion disorder. Issue 2 (12th December 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Aybek, Selma; Nicholson, Timothy R J; Draganski, Bogdan; Daly, Eileen; Murphy, Declan G; David, Anthony S; Kanaan, Richard A
• Is Part Of: Journal of neurology, neurosurgery and psychiatry. Volume 85:Issue 2(2014)
• Page Start: 236
• Page End: 238
• Publication Date: 2012-12-12
• Subjects: Neuropsychiatry -- Neuroradiology; Neurology -- Periodicals; Nervous system -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; 616.8
• DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2012-304158
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-3050

Abstract

Abstract : Objective: To detect anatomical differences in areas related to motor processing between patients with motor conversion disorder (CD) and controls. Methods: T1-weighted 3T brain MRI data of 15 patients suffering from motor CD (nine with hemiparesis and six with paraparesis) and 25 age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers were compared using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and voxel-based cortical thickness (VBCT) analysis. Results: We report significant cortical thickness (VBCT) increases in the bilateral premotor cortex of hemiparetic patients relative to controls and a trend towards increased grey matter volume (VBM) in the same region. Regression analyses showed a non-significant positive correlation between cortical thickness changes and symptom severity as well as illness duration in CD patients. Conclusions: Cortical thickness increases in premotor cortical areas of patients with hemiparetic CD provide evidence for altered brain structure in a condition with presumed normal brain anatomy. These may either represent premorbid vulnerability or a plasticity phenomenon related to the disease with the trends towards correlations with clinical variables supporting the latter.