title: [The utility of voxel-based morphometry in the diagnosis of spinocerebellar degeneration].
abstract: We evaluated atrophic sites in the brainstem and cerebellum in the patients with spinocerebellar degeneration by using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). Gray matter atrophy was found extensively in both the cerebellar hemispheres and vermis of subjects presenting the cerebellar variant of multiple system atrophy (MSA-C; n=9). In addition, remarkable white matter atrophy was observed in the middle cerebellar peduncle, brainstem, and cerebellar hemispheres. In contrast, gray matter atrophy was not apparent in the cerebellar hemispheres or vermis of subjects in the SCA3 group (n=6), whereas intense white matter atrophy was visible in the middle cerebellar peduncle, brainstem, and cerebellar hemispheres. White matter atrophy was also observed in the brainstem and surrounding the dentate nucleus in both cases of dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA) (n=2), whereas gray matter atrophy of the cerebellum was not remarkable. In both the SCA6 group (n=3) and the SCA31 group (n=2), gray matter atrophy was prominent in the cerebellar hemispheres and vermis; however, white matter atrophy was not found in the middle cerebellar peduncle and brainstem, whereas symmetric atrophy of white matter was found in the vicinity of the dentate nucleus. In each of these diseases, VBM findings were consistent with the pathological findings; therefore, VBM can be considered a useful tool for the diagnosis of spinocerebellar degeneration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Tokyo Medical University Hachioji Medical Center.
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nanri
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taguchi
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Tsuneo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mitoma
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kawata
authors.forename: Hidehiro
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mizusawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D013132:Spinocerebellar Degenerations / Q000473:pathology*