Quantitative susceptibility-weighted imaging in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with 3.0 T magnetic resonance imaging

Objective To evaluate alterations in phase-shift values in the gray matter of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) using susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI). Methods Twenty patients with definite or probable ALS and 19 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled. SWI was performed using a 3.0 T magnetic resonance imaging scanner. Phase-shift values were measured in corrected phase images using regions of interest, which were placed on the bilateral precentral gyrus, frontal cortex, caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, and putamen. Results Phase-shift values of the precentral gyrus were significantly lower in ALS patients (−0.176 ± 0.050) than in the control group (−0.119 ± 0.016) on SWI. The average phase-shift values of the frontal cortex, caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, and putamen in ALS patients (−0.089 ± 0.023, −0.065 ± 0.016, −0.336 ± 0.191, and −0.227 ± 0.101, respectively) were not significantly different from those in the healthy controls (−0.885 ± 0.015, −0.079 ± 0.018, −0.329 ± 0.136, and −0.229 ± 0.083, respectively). Conclusions Compared with healthy controls, ALS patients had a lower phase-shift value in the precentral gyrus, which may be related to abnormal iron overload. Thus, SWI is a potential method for identifying ALS patients.

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Cortical Thinning of Motor and Non-Motor Brain Regions Enables Diagnosis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Supports Distinction between Upper- and Lower-Motoneuron Phenotypes

Biomedicines ◽

10.3390/biomedicines9091195 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (9) ◽

pp. 1195

Author(s):

Stefano Ferrea ◽

Frederick Junker ◽

Mira Korth ◽

Kai Gruhn ◽

Torsten Grehl ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽

Temporal Lobe ◽

Cortical Thickness ◽

Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Precentral Gyrus ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Cortical Thinning ◽

Als Patients ◽

Lateral Sclerosis

Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder clinically characterized by muscle atrophy and progressive paralysis. In addition to the classical ALS affecting both the upper and lower motoneurons (UMN and LMN), other subtypes with the predominant (or even exclusive) affection of the UMN or LMN have been identified. This work sought to detect specific patterns of cortical brain atrophy in the UMN and LMN phenotypes to distinguish these two forms from the healthy state. Methods: Using high-resolution structural MRI and cortical thickness analysis, 38 patients with a diagnosis of ALS and predominance of either the UMN (n = 20) or the LMN (n = 18) phenotype were investigated. Results: Significant cortical thinning in the temporal lobe was found in both the ALS groups. Additionally, UMN patients displayed a significant thinning of the cortical thickness in the pre- and postcentral gyrus, as well as the paracentral lobule. By applying multivariate analyses based on the cortical thicknesses of 34 brain regions, ALS patients with either a predominant UMN or LMN phenotype were distinguished from healthy controls with an accuracy of 94% and UMN from LMN patients with an accuracy of 75%. Conclusions: These findings support previous hypothesis that neural degeneration in ALS is not confined to the sole motor regions. In addition, the amount of cortical thinning in the temporal lobe helps to distinguish ALS patients from healthy controls, that is, to support or discourage the diagnosis of ALS, while the cortical thickness of the precentral gyrus specifically helps to distinguish the UMN from the LMN phenotype.

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Characterizing Sensorimotor-Related Area Abnormalities in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: An Intravoxel Incoherent Motion Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

Academic Radiology ◽

10.1016/j.acra.2021.07.006 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yuan-Fen Liu ◽

Zhang-Yu Zou ◽

Li-Min Cai ◽

Jia-Hui Lin ◽

Min-Xiong Zhou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽

Magnetic Resonance ◽

Imaging Study ◽

Intravoxel Incoherent Motion ◽

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study ◽

Resonance Imaging ◽

Related Area ◽

Lateral Sclerosis

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Integrated magnetic resonance imaging and [ 11 C]‐PBR28 positron emission tomographic imaging in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Annals of Neurology ◽

10.1002/ana.25251 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 83 (6) ◽

pp. 1186-1197 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Mohamad J. Alshikho ◽

Nicole R. Zürcher ◽

Marco L. Loggia ◽

Paul Cernasov ◽

Beverly Reynolds ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽

Magnetic Resonance ◽

Tomographic Imaging ◽

Positron Emission Tomographic ◽

Resonance Imaging ◽

Positron Emission ◽

Lateral Sclerosis

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The magnetic resonance imaging "wine glass" sign of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

International journal of Nutrition Pharmacology Neurological Diseases ◽

10.4103/2231-0738.84217 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 206

Author(s):

UmeshC Parashari ◽

Sachin Khanduri ◽

Samarjit Bhadury ◽

Divyanka Srivastava ◽

Sugandha Saxena

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽

Magnetic Resonance ◽

Resonance Imaging ◽

Wine Glass ◽

Lateral Sclerosis

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Changes in the concentrations of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) and its precursors in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-72184-3 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Lu Chen ◽

Yong Chen ◽

Mingming Zhao ◽

Lemin Zheng ◽

Dongsheng Fan

Keyword(s):

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Metabolic Pathway ◽

Plasma Concentrations ◽

Disease Onset ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Age And Gender ◽

And Gender ◽

Als Patients ◽

Lateral Sclerosis

Abstract To compare the plasma concentrations of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) and its precursors in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, their spouses and healthy controls and to find associations between gut microbiota metabolites and ALS. ALS patients were recruited at Peking University Third Hospital from January 2015 to December 2018. Information was collected from their spouses at the same time. Age and gender matched healthy controls were recruited from individuals who visited the physical examination center for health checkups. Blood samples were collected after at least 4 h of fasting. Concentrations of the metabolites were quantified using stable isotope dilution liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Group differences were analyzed using parametric and nonparametric tests, as appropriate. In this study, 160 patients with ALS were recruited. In these patients, 63 were compared with their spouses, 148 were compared with age and gender matched controls, and 60 were compared with both their spouses and heathy controls in the same time. The carnitine concentration was significantly higher in patients than in their spouses, while there were no significant differences in the concentrations of other metabolites. The carnitine and betaine concentrations were higher, while the choline, TMAO and butyrobetaine concentrations were lower in ALS than in healthy controls. The concentrations of the metabolites in the spouses were more similar to the ALS patients rather than to the healthy controls. In the ALS group, the plasma concentrations of carnitine, betaine, choline and TMAO were inversely related to the severity of upper motor neuron impairment. The TMAO metabolic pathway of the gut microbiota is disturbed in both ALS patients and their spouses, which might suggest that the changes in the gut microbiota occurred before disease onset. The negative correlations between the involvement of UMNs and the concentrations of the metabolites might suggest that the inhibition of this metabolic pathway might lead to a better prognosis in ALS patients.

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