Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis may not be associated with brain abnormalities.
BACKGROUND
The etiology of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is uncertain and multifactorial. Recently, regional brain volume differences have been reported in the pathogenesis of AIS.


OBJECTIVE
To examine cerebral glucose metabolism using (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) brain positron emission tomography (PET) in patients with AIS and in gender-matched healthy control subjects.


METHODS
Twenty-six right-handed AIS patients (six male, 20 female; mean age 14.6+/-2.22 years, range 11-18 years) were prospectively recruited for this study. Fourteen young adults (three male, 11 female; mean age 27+/-1.54 years, range 25-29 years) were included as a control group. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) was used to determine cerebral glucose metabolism. Statistical probabilistic anatomical mapping (SPAM) was used to investigate the metabolic differences between AIS and normal control subjects with respect to previously reported brain areas.


RESULTS
SPM analysis showed no voxels with differing cerebral glucose metabolism in AIS patients. SPAM analysis revealed no significant differences between AIS and normal control subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
SPM and SPAM analyses showed no statistically significant differences in cerebral glucose metabolism between AIS and normal control subjects. These results may suggest that there is no relationship between AIS and brain abnormalities.
Lee
Jung Sub
JS
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea.
Kim
Seong-Jang
SJ
Suh
Kuen Tak
KT
Kim
In Joo
IJ
Kim
Yong-Ki
YK
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001921:Brain / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002648:Child; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005682:Gadolinium; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000209:etiology*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods*
D003287:Contrast Media; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005682:Gadolinium