Diffusion tensor imaging of the superior cerebellar peduncle identifies patients with posterior fossa syndrome

We present diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) findings in a case of hypertrophic olivary degeneration (HOD) and cerebellar ataxia. A 56-year-old man presented with abnormal ataxic gait and dysarthria. MRI 5 months after onset showed chronic pontine hematoma and enlarged bilateral inferior olivary nuclei. DTT showed decreased volume of the bilateral central tegmental tract, in accordance with the conventional hypothesis that HOD is associated with neurologic insult to the Guillain-Mollaret triangle. The patient’s cerebellar ataxia was speculated to be due to decreased decussating fibers of the superior cerebellar peduncle, and this was confirmed by DTT.

Download Full-text

Diffusion tensor imaging of the superior cerebellar peduncle

Child s Nervous System ◽

10.1007/s00381-013-2264-8 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 29 (12) ◽

pp. 2143-2143

Author(s):

Bilal Battal ◽

Salih Hamcan ◽

Veysel Akgun

Keyword(s):

Diffusion Tensor Imaging ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

Superior Cerebellar Peduncle ◽

Cerebellar Peduncle

Download Full-text

Further diffusion tensor imaging contribution in horizontal gaze palsy and progressive scoliosis

Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria ◽

10.1590/s0004-282x2009000600017 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 67 (4) ◽

pp. 1054-1056 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Maria Conceptión García Otaduy ◽

Claudia da Costa Leite ◽

Lídia Mayumi Nagae ◽

Marco da Cunha Pinho ◽

Clarissa Bueno ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Diffusion Tensor Imaging ◽

Clinical Diagnosis ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

Medial Lemniscus ◽

Surrogate Markers ◽

Superior Cerebellar Peduncle ◽

Progressive Scoliosis ◽

Horizontal Gaze ◽

Cerebellar Peduncle ◽

Gaze Palsy

In two siblings with clinical diagnosis of horizontal gaze palsy associated with progressive scoliosis (HGPPS) we could demonstrate by diffusion tensor imaging: (1) An anterior displacement of the transverse pontine fibers; (2) Posterior clumping of the corticospinal, medial lemniscus and central tegmental tracts and of the medial and dorsal longitudinal fasciculi complex; (3) Absent decussation of superior cerebellar peduncle. Those findings can contribute as surrogate markers for the diagnosis.

Download Full-text

White matter differences between essential tremor and Parkinson disease

Neurology ◽

10.1212/wnl.0000000000006694 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 92 (1) ◽

pp. e30-e39 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Meher R. Juttukonda ◽

Giulia Franco ◽

Dario J. Englot ◽

Ya-Chen Lin ◽

Kalen J. Petersen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

White Matter ◽

Parkinson Disease ◽

Essential Tremor ◽

Fractional Anisotropy ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

Mean Diffusivity ◽

Superior Cerebellar Peduncle ◽

Radial Diffusivity ◽

Cerebellar Peduncles ◽

Cerebellar Peduncle

ObjectiveTo assess white matter integrity in patients with essential tremor (ET) and Parkinson disease (PD) with moderate to severe motor impairment.MethodsSedated participants with ET (n = 57) or PD (n = 99) underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity values were computed. White matter tracts were defined using 3 well-described atlases. To determine candidate white matter regions that differ between ET and PD groups, a bootstrapping analysis was applied using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator. Linear regression was applied to assess magnitude and direction of differences in DTI metrics between ET and PD populations in the candidate regions.ResultsFractional anisotropy values that differentiate ET from PD localize primarily to thalamic and visual-related pathways, while diffusivity differences localized to the cerebellar peduncles. Patients with ET exhibited lower fractional anisotropy values than patients with PD in the lateral geniculate body (p < 0.01), sagittal stratum (p = 0.01), forceps major (p = 0.02), pontine crossing tract (p = 0.03), and retrolenticular internal capsule (p = 0.04). Patients with ET exhibited greater radial diffusivity values than patients with PD in the superior cerebellar peduncle (p < 0.01), middle cerebellar peduncle (p = 0.05), and inferior cerebellar peduncle (p = 0.05).ConclusionsRegionally, distinctive white matter microstructural values in patients with ET localize to the cerebellar peduncles and thalamo-cortical visual pathways. These findings complement recent functional imaging studies in ET but also extend our understanding of putative physiologic features that account for distinctions between ET and PD.

Download Full-text

Alternative Microstructural Measures to Complement Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Migraine Studies with Standard MRI Acquisition

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci10100711 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 711

Author(s):

Álvaro Planchuelo-Gómez ◽

David García-Azorín ◽

Ángel L. Guerrero ◽

Rodrigo de Luis-García ◽

Margarita Rodríguez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Diffusion Tensor Imaging ◽

White Matter ◽

Chronic Migraine ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

Mean Diffusivity ◽

Episodic Migraine ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Axial Diffusivity ◽

Average Diffusion ◽

Cerebellar Peduncle

The white matter state in migraine has been investigated using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measures, but results using this technique are conflicting. To overcome DTI measures, we employed ensemble average diffusion propagator measures obtained with apparent measures using reduced acquisitions (AMURA). The AMURA measures were return-to-axis (RTAP), return-to-origin (RTOP) and return-to-plane probabilities (RTPP). Tract-based spatial statistics was used to compare fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity and radial diffusivity from DTI, and RTAP, RTOP and RTPP, between healthy controls, episodic migraine and chronic migraine patients. Fifty healthy controls, 54 patients with episodic migraine and 56 with chronic migraine were assessed. Significant differences were found between both types of migraine, with lower axial diffusivity values in 38 white matter regions and higher RTOP values in the middle cerebellar peduncle in patients with a chronic migraine (p < 0.05 family-wise error corrected). Significantly lower RTPP values were found in episodic migraine patients compared to healthy controls in 24 white matter regions (p < 0.05 family-wise error corrected), finding no significant differences using DTI measures. The white matter microstructure is altered in a migraine, and in chronic compared to episodic migraine. AMURA can provide additional results with respect to DTI to uncover white matter alterations in migraine.

Download Full-text