Yin Ping, Liu Yi, Xiong Hua, Han Yongliang, Sah Shambhu Kumar, Zeng Chun, Wang Jingjie, Li Yongmei
1 Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University , Chongqing , China.
2 Department of Radiology, Peking University Hospital , Beijing , China.
Br J Radiol. 2018 Feb;91(1083):20150777. doi: 10.1259/bjr.20150777. Epub 2018 Jan 31.
To assess the changes of the structural and functional abnormalities in multiple sclerosis with simple spinal cord involvement (MS-SSCI) by using resting-state functional MRI (RS-fMRI), voxel based morphology (VBM) and diffusion tensor tractography.
The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) of 22 patients with MS-SSCI and 22 healthy controls (HCs) matched for age, gender and education were compared by using RS-fMRI. We also compared the volume, fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient of the brain regions in baseline brain activity by using VBM and diffusion tensor imaging. The relationships between the expanded disability states scale (EDSS) scores, changed parameters of structure and function were further explored.
(1) Compared with HCs, the ALFF of the bilateral hippocampus and right middle temporal gyrus in MS-SSCI decreased significantly. However, patients exhibited increased ALFF in the left middle frontal gyrus, left posterior cingulate gyrus and right middle occipital gyrus ( two-sample t-test, after AlphaSim correction, p < 0.01, voxel size > 40). The volume of right middle frontal gyrus reduced significantly (p < 0.01). The FA and ADC of right hippocampus, the FA of left hippocampus and right middle temporal gyrus were significantly different. (2) A significant correlation between EDSS scores and ALFF was noted only in the left posterior cingulate gyrus.
Our results detected structural and functional abnormalities in MS-SSCI and functional parameters were associated with clinical abnormalities. Multimodal imaging plays an important role in detecting structural and functional abnormalities in MS-SSCI. Advances in knowledge: This is the first time to apply RS-fMRI, VBM and diffusion tensor tractography to study the structural and functional abnormalities in MS-SSCI, and to explore its correlation with EDSS score.
运用静息态功能磁共振成像（RS-fMRI）、基于体素的形态学分析（VBM）和扩散张量纤维束成像，评估单纯脊髓受累型多发性硬化（MS-SSCI）患者结构和功能异常的变化情况。
采用RS-fMRI比较22例MS-SSCI患者与22例年龄、性别及教育程度相匹配的健康对照者（HCs）的低频振幅（ALFF）。我们还运用VBM和扩散张量成像比较了基线脑活动中脑区的体积、各向异性分数（FA）和表观扩散系数。进一步探讨扩展残疾状态量表（EDSS）评分与结构和功能变化参数之间的关系。
（1）与HCs相比，MS-SSCI患者双侧海马及右侧颞中回的ALFF显著降低。然而，患者左侧额中回、左侧后扣带回及右侧枕中回的ALFF升高（双样本t检验，经AlphaSim校正后，p<0.01，体素大小>40）。右侧额中回体积显著减小（p<0.01）。右侧海马的FA和表观扩散系数、左侧海马及右侧颞中回的FA存在显著差异。（2）仅在左侧后扣带回中发现EDSS评分与ALFF之间存在显著相关性。
我们的研究结果检测到MS-SSCI患者存在结构和功能异常，且功能参数与临床异常相关。多模态成像在检测MS-SSCI患者的结构和功能异常方面发挥着重要作用。知识进展：这是首次应用RS-fMRI、VBM和扩散张量纤维束成像研究MS-SSCI患者的结构和功能异常，并探讨其与EDSS评分的相关性。
