title: Diffusion tensor tract-specific analysis of the uncinate fasciculus in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The uncinate fasciculus (UF) consists of core fibers connecting the frontal and temporal lobes and is considered to be related to cognitive/behavioral function. Using diffusion tensor tractography, we quantitatively evaluated changes in fractional anisotropy (FA) and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of the UF by tract-specific analysis to evaluate the damage of the UF in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
  
  
  METHODS
  We obtained diffusion tensor images of 15 patients with ALS and 9 age-matched volunteers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with ALS showed significantly lower mean FA (P = 0.029) compared with controls. No significant difference was seen in mean ADC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that damage of the UF in patients with ALS can be quantitatively evaluated with FA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. ksatou-ham@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kanako
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: Nobue K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Iwata
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Masutani
authors.forename: Takeyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watadani
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakata
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Terao
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Kuni
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohtomo
authors.forename: Shoji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsuji
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000647:Amnesia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D016880:Anisotropy; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008032:Limbic System / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008432:Mathematical Computing; D008875:Middle Aged; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012984:Software; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology*