Cerebral atrophy in multiple system atrophy by MRI.
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.
Horimoto
Y
Y
Department of Neurology, Higashi Nagoya National Hospital, 5-101 Umemorizaka, Meito, Nagoya, Japan. holly@amitaj.or.jp
Aiba
I
I
Yasuda
T
T
Ohkawa
Y
Y
Katayama
T
T
Yokokawa
Y
Y
Goto
A
A
Ito
Y
Y
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