Brain structural changes in essential tremor: Voxel-based morphometry at 3-Tesla

Julian Benito-Leon*, Juan Alvarez-Linera, Juan Antonio Hernandez-Tamames, Hortensia Alonso-Navarro, Felix Javier Jimenez-Jimenez, Elan D. Louis

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

150 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: Abnormalities in cerebello-thalamo-cortical pathways have been suggested as a basis for essential tremor (ET). Two voxel-based morphometry (VBM) studies, each using a 1.5-T magnet, evaluated ET patients, leading to contradictory results. Using a 3-T magnet, we assessed whether white or gray matter changes occurred in ET patients vs. controls. Methods: We recruited 19 ET patients (mean age 69.8 ± 9.4 years) and 20 age and gender-matched controls. 3-T MRI data were analyzed using the Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) 5 package. Results: In case-control comparisons, white matter changes were seen in several areas (right cerebellum, left medulla, right parietal lobe, and right limbic lobe); gray matter changes were seen in several areas as well (bilateral cerebellum, bilateral parietal lobes, right frontal lobe, and right insula) (p < 0.001, uncorrected at a voxel level). Compared with controls, ET patients with severe tremor had white matter changes in the midbrain, both occipital lobes, and right frontal lobe, and gray matter changes bilaterally in the cerebellum (p < 0.001, uncorrected at a voxel level). Conclusions: Structural white and gray abnormalities may be detected in ET patients using VBM and a high-field MRI scanner. Such changes may be related to the pathological substrates associated with this disease.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)138-142
Number of pages5
JournalJournal of the Neurological Sciences
Volume287
Issue number1-2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 Dec 2009
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Dr. Benito-León is supported by an educational grant from Fundación Mutua Madrileña . Dr. Louis is supported by NIH R01 NS042859 and R01 NS039422 from the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD .

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