Diffusion tensor imaging in primary cervical dystonia.
BACKGROUND
It is the traditional view that primary dystonia arises from abnormal basal ganglia function but causes no apparent morphological changes.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether cervical dystonia leads to ultrastructural changes in the brain, using diffusion tensor imaging to compare brain structure in 15 patients with cervical dystonia with 10 healthy controls.


METHODS
Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were obtained in 17 brain regions of interest.


RESULTS
Patients had higher FA values than controls in both putamina and lower FA values in the genu and in the body of the corpus callosum. Patients also had lower MD values in the left pallidum, the left putamen, and both caudati.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with cervical dystonia, diffusion tensor imaging shows ultrastructural changes in specific brain areas, including the basal ganglia.
Colosimo
C
C
Department of Neurological Sciences, University La Sapienza, I-00185 Rome, Italy. carlo.colosimo@uniroma1.it
Pantano
P
P
Calistri
V
V
Totaro
P
P
Fabbrini
G
G
Berardelli
A
A
D016880:Anisotropy; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000473:pathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014103:Torticollis / Q000473:pathology*