title: Magnetization transfer MR imaging demonstrates degeneration of the subcortical and cortical gray matter in Huntington disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  GM is typically affected in HD since the presymptomatic stage. Our aim was to investigate with MT MR imaging the microstructural changes of the residual brain subcortical and cortical GM in carriers of the HD gene and to preliminarily assess their correlation with the clinical features.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen HD gene carriers with a range of clinical severity and 15 age- and sex-matched healthy controls underwent MT MR imaging on a 1.5T scanner. The MT ratio was measured automatically in several subcortical and cortical GM regions (striatal nuclei; thalami; and the neocortex of the frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes) by using FLS tools.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The MT ratio was significantly (P < .05 with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparison) decreased in all subcortical structures except the putamen and decreased diffusely in the cerebral cortex of HD carriers compared with controls. Close correlation was observed between the subcortical and cortical regional MT ratios and several clinical variables, including disease duration, motor disability, and scores in timed neuropsychological tests.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MT imaging demonstrates degeneration of the subcortical and cortical GM in HD carriers and might serve, along with volumetric assessment, as a surrogate marker in future clinical trials of HD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Physiopathology, University of Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ginestroni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Battaglini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Diciotti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Della Nave
authors.forename: L N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Mazzoni
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tessa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giannelli
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Piacentini
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: De Stefano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mascalchi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000473:pathology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013788:Thalamus / Q000473:pathology
references.citation: Exp Neurol. 1998 Dec;154(2):663-72
references.pmid: 9878201
references.citation: Acta Neuropathol. 2008 Jan;115(1):55-69
references.pmid: 17978822
references.citation: Clin Chem. 1996 Oct;42(10):1601-3
references.pmid: 8855141
references.citation: Mov Disord. 2007 Sep 15;22(12):1783-9
references.pmid: 17579363
references.citation: Am J Hum Genet. 1996 Jul;59(1):16-22
references.pmid: 8659522
references.citation: Mov Disord. 1996 Mar;11(2):136-42
references.pmid: 8684382
references.citation: Neuroradiology. 2001 Jul;43(7):542-6
references.pmid: 11512582
references.citation: J Neurol. 2010 Mar;257(3):426-32
references.pmid: 19823894
references.citation: Radiology. 2004 Sep;232(3):867-73
references.pmid: 15215553
references.citation: Brain Res Rev. 2008 Jun;58(1):209-25
references.pmid: 18486229
references.citation: Ann Neurol. 2002 Jul;52(1):62-7
references.pmid: 12112048
references.citation: Neuroimage. 2009 Dec;48(4):657-67
references.pmid: 19607926
references.citation: Neurology. 2003 Apr 8;60(7):1157-62
references.pmid: 12682324
references.citation: Mov Disord. 2007 Jun 15;22(8):1169-73
references.pmid: 17394246
references.citation: J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2007 Mar;114(3):367-72
references.pmid: 17024326
references.citation: Brain. 2006 Aug;129(Pt 8):2008-16
references.pmid: 16815879
references.citation: J Neurol. 2009 Jan;256(1):109-14
references.pmid: 19267169
references.citation: AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2010 Oct;31(9):1675-81
references.pmid: 20488902
references.citation: Acad Radiol. 2007 Feb;14(2):189-92
references.pmid: 17236991
references.citation: Neuroimage. 2008 Apr 1;40(2):583-589
references.pmid: 18255315
references.citation: AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2010 Apr;31(4):706-10
references.pmid: 19942704
references.citation: Neuroimage. 2005 Aug 15;27(2):436-41
references.pmid: 15978842
references.citation: J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2004 Feb;75(2):213-20
references.pmid: 14742591
references.citation: Mov Disord. 2006 Sep;21(9):1317-25
references.pmid: 16755582
references.citation: J Neurol. 2009 Jun;256(6):925-32
references.pmid: 19252791
references.citation: Neuroimage. 2002 Sep;17(1):479-89
references.pmid: 12482100
references.citation: Neurology. 2002 Mar 12;58(5):695-701
references.pmid: 11889230
references.citation: Brain. 2008 Apr;131(Pt 4):1057-68
references.pmid: 18337273
references.citation: Psychiatry Res. 2005 Oct 30;140(1):55-62
references.pmid: 16199141
references.citation: Neurology. 1979 Jan;29(1):1-3
references.pmid: 154626
references.citation: J Neurol Sci. 2005 Dec 15;239(1):11-9
references.pmid: 16185716