title: Cerebral atrophy in multiple system atrophy by MRI.
abstract: Cranial magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the cerebral areas of 40 patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA) and of 61 age-matched controls were analyzed. The cerebral area of MSA patients was 131. 95+/-15.89 cm(2) (mean+/-S.D.), which was significantly smaller than that of normal controls at 149.01+/-10.93 cm(2) (P<0.0001). All 23 MSA cases subjected to the MRI study over a 1-year period showed progressive cerebral atrophy, and the atrophy rate was 2.46+/-1. 66%/year. There were no significant differences within the MSA subtypes or between gender. The progression of cerebral atrophy in MSA correlated more with duration (r=-0.634) than age (r=-0.421). We conclude that MRI findings throughout the course of MSA suggest progressive cerebral atrophy, which is common in all subtypes and reflects duration of the disease rather than age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Higashi Nagoya National Hospital, 5-101 Umemorizaka, Meito, Nagoya, Japan. holly@amitaj.or.jp
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Horimoto
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Aiba
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohkawa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Katayama
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yokokawa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ito
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001284:Atrophy; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019578:Multiple System Atrophy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology