title: Axial diffusivity of the corona radiata correlated with ventricular size in adult hydrocephalus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hydrocephalus causes changes in the diffusion-tensor properties of periventricular white matter. Understanding the nature of these changes may aid in the diagnosis and treatment planning of this relatively common neurologic condition. Because ventricular size is a common measure of the severity of hydrocephalus, we hypothesized that a quantitative correlation could be made between the ventricular size and diffusion-tensor changes in the periventricular corona radiata. In this article, we investigated this relationship in adult patients with hydrocephalus and in healthy adult subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diffusion-tensor imaging metrics of the corona radiata were correlated with ventricular size in 14 adult patients with acute hydrocephalus, 16 patients with long-standing hydrocephalus, and 48 consecutive healthy adult subjects. Regression analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between ventricular size and the diffusion-tensor metrics of the corona radiata. Subject age was analyzed as a covariable.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There is a linear correlation between fractional anisotropy of the corona radiata and ventricular size in acute hydrocephalus (r = 0.784, p < 0.001), with positive correlation with axial diffusivity (r = 0.636, p = 0.014) and negative correlation with radial diffusivity (r = 0.668, p = 0.009). In healthy subjects, axial diffusion in the periventricular corona radiata is more strongly correlated with ventricular size than with patient age (r = 0.466, p < 0.001, compared with r = 0.058, p = 0.269).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Axial diffusivity of the corona radiata is linearly correlated with ventricular size in healthy adults and in patients with hydrocephalus. Radial diffusivity of the corona radiata decreases linearly with ventricular size in acute hydrocephalus but is not significantly correlated with ventricular size in healthy subjects or in patients with long-standing hydrocephalus.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Radiology, Division of Neuroradiology, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, 630 W 168th St, New York, NY 10032.
authors.forename: Keith A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Cauley
authors.forename: Oguz
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Cataltepe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016880:Anisotropy; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000473:pathology*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: axial diffusivity; corona radiata; diffusion-tensor imaging; hydrocephalus; radial diffusivity