Diffusion tensor MR imaging of white matter integrity in HIV-positive patients with planning deficit

• Published in: Neuroradiology Vol. 57; no. 5; pp. 475 - 482
• Main Authors: Corrêa, Diogo Goulart, Zimmermann, Nicolle, Doring, Thomas M., Wilner, Nina Ventura, Leite, Sarah C. B., Cabral, Rafael Ferracini, Fonseca, Rochele Paz, Bahia, Paulo R. V., Gasparetto, Emerson Leandro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.05.2015; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Cognition Disorders - etiology; Cognition Disorders - pathology; Diagnostic Neuroradiology; Diffusion; Diffusion Tensor Imaging; Female; HIV; HIV Seropositivity - complications; HIV Seropositivity - pathology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Imaging; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Neurological disorders; Neurology; Neuroradiology; Neurosciences; Neurosurgery; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Prospective Studies; Radiology; White Matter - pathology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Magnetic resonance imaging; Human immunodeficiency virus-associated neurocognitive disorders; Diffusion tensor imaging
• ISSN: 0028-3940; 1432-1920
• DOI: 10.1007/s00234-015-1489-5

Introduction The aim of this study was to evaluate whether normal controls and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients with and without planning deficits differ on white matter integrity. Methods A total of 34 HIV-positive patients with planning deficits were compared with 13 HIV-positive patients without planning deficits and 19 gender-, age-, and education-matched control subjects. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was performed along 30 noncolinear directions in a 1.5-T scanner. For tract-based spatial statistics analysis, a white matter skeleton was created, and a permutation-based inference with 5000 permutations with a threshold of p  < 0.05 was used to identify abnormalities in fractional anisotropy (FA). The median, radial, and axial diffusivities were also projected onto the mean FA skeleton. Results Compared with controls, HIV-positive patients with planning deficits had decreased FA in bilateral anterior thalamic radiations, bilateral inferior fronto-occiptal fasciculi, genu and splenium of the corpus callosum, bilateral superior longitudinal fascicule, and bilateral uncinate fasciculi. Compared to HIV-positive patients without planning deficits, patients with planning deficits had decreased FA in bilateral anterior thalamic radiations, bilateral inferior fronto-occiptal fasciculi, genu of the corpus callosum, bilateral superior longitudinal fascicule, and right uncinate fascicule. Conclusion DTI can detect extensive white matter abnormalities in the normal-appearing white matter of HIV-positive patients with planning deficits compared with controls and HIV-positive patients without planning deficits.