Morphometry demonstrates loss of cortical thickness in cerebral microangiopathy

• Published in: Journal of neurology Vol. 252; no. 4; pp. 441 - 447
• Main Authors: Preul, C., Lohmann, G., Hund–Georgiadis, M., Guthke, T., von Cramon, D. Y.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 01.04.2005; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Analysis of Variance; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Cerebral Cortex - pathology; Cerebrovascular Disorders - pathology; Cerebrovascular Disorders - physiopathology; Cognition Disorders; Female; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Multiple sclerosis and variants. Guillain barré syndrome and other inflammatory polyneuropathies. Leukoencephalitis; Neurology; Neuropsychological Tests - statistics & numerical data; Statistics as Topic; Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime; Tomography, Emission-Computed; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color - methods; Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system; Vascular disease; Nervous system diseases; cerebral microangiopathy; Microangiopathy; cortical thickness; Central nervous system; Cardiovascular disease; MR-morphometry; Morphometry; Encephalon
• ISSN: 0340-5354; 1432-1459
• DOI: 10.1007/s00415-005-0671-9

To evaluate the role of MR morphometry in the characterization of cerebral microangiopathy (CMA) in relation to clinical and neuropsychological impairment. 3D MR images of 27 patients and 27 age-matched controls were morphometrically analysed for regional thickness. The normalized values were related to the patients' clinical and neuropsychological scores. The patients were categorised according to the amount of structural MR signal changes. A ventricle index reflecting internal atrophy was related to MR morphology and cortical thickness as an indicator for external atrophy. Cortical thickness was significantly reduced in the patients group (3.03 mm +/- 0.26 vs. 3.22 mm +/-0.13 in controls, p=0.001). The severest loss of cortical thickness occurred in severe CMA. Internal and external atrophy evolved in parallel and both showed a significant relationship with structural MR-abnormalities (p<0.05; r=-0.7; r=0.67; r=-0.74, respectively). Neuropsychological performance correlated strongly with the loss of cortical thickness. Cortical thickness was identified as the most sensitive parameter to characterize CMA. A strong correlation was found of morphometric parameters to the severity of CMA based on a score derived from T2-weighted MRI. The degree of cortical atrophy was directly related to the degree of neuropsychological impairment. Our findings suggest that the cortical thickness is a valid marker in the structural and clinical characterization of CMA.