title: Cortical thinning correlates with cognitive change in multiple sclerosis but not in neuromyelitis optica.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare spatial patterns of cortical thickness alterations in neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and multiple sclerosis (MS); and to investigate the correlations between cortical thinning and clinical variables in NMO and MS.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 23 patients with NMO, 27 patients with MS and 26 healthy controls (HCs). The global, brain region and vertex-based cortical thickness (CTh) were analysed and compared among the three groups. A general linear model was used to investigate the correlations between cortical thinning and clinical measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A limited number of cortical regions in visual cortex were found to be significantly thinner in NMO patients than in HCs. The MS patients exhibited more widespread cortical thinning compared with HCs, and significantly greater cortical thinning in the insula and the parahippocampus compared with NMO. The extent of cortical thinning in several brain regions correlated with cognitive measures in MS, but not in NMO.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neocortical thinning in NMO mainly affects visual cortex, while MS patients show much more extensive cortical thinning. Cognitive changes are correlated with cortical atrophy in MS not in NMO. The substrates of cognitive changes in MS and NMO could therefore be different.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MS patients show much more extensive cortical thinning than NMO. Cortical thinning of insula and parahippocampus particularly distinguishes MS from NMO. Cognitive changes are correlated with cortical atrophy in MS but not in NMO.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yaou
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Teng
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Yunyun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Zhuoqiong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Gaolang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Huiqing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Butzkueven
authors.forename: Fu-Dong
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Ni
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.forename: Kuncheng
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001284:Atrophy / Q000473:pathology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009471:Neuromyelitis Optica / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult