title: Small cerebellar cortex volume in patients with active Cushing's syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cushing's syndrome (CS) is associated with neuropsychological deficits. As the cerebellum plays a key role in neuropsychological functions it may be affected in CS. The aim of this study was to investigate whether patients with CS have a smaller cerebellar volume than healthy controls, and to analyse whether cerebellar volume is associated with neuropsychological performance and clinical parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was performed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six CS patients (15 with active CS and 21 with CS in remission) and 36 controls matched for age, sex, and education underwent neuropsychological testing, quality of life assessment, clinical evaluation, and magnetic resonance imaging brain scan. Cerebellar volumes (white matter and cortex, bilateral) were calculated using FreeSurfer Software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with active CS showed smaller bilateral cerebellar cortex volumes than controls (left, P=0.035 and right, P=0.034), as well as a trend toward smaller right cerebellar cortex volumes than patients in remission CS (P=0.051). No differences were observed in the volume of cerebellar white matter between the three groups. Both right and left cerebellar cortex volumes correlated negatively with triglyceride levels (right: r=-0.358, P=0.002 and left: r=-0.317, P=0.005) and age at diagnosis (right: r=-0.433, P=0.008 and left: r=-0.457, P=0.005). Left cerebellar cortex volume also correlated positively with visual memory performance (r=0.245, P=0.038). Right cerebellar cortex volume positively correlated with quality-of-life scores (r=0.468, P=0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cerebellar cortex volume is smaller in active CS patients than in controls. This finding is associated with poor visual memory and quality of life and is mostly pronounced in patients with higher triglyceride levels and older age at diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, C/Sant Antoni Maria Claret 167, 08025 Barcelona, Spain. asantos@santpau.cat
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology/Medicine DepartmentsHospital Sant Pau, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBER-ER, Unidad 747), ISCIII, IIB-Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), SpainINNDACYTAvenida Europa 20, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, SpainNeuroradiology UnitHospital Sant Pau, and IIB-Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, SpainEscola Universitària d'InfermeriaHospital Sant Pau. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain andDepartment of Psychiatry and Clinical PsychobiologyPsychology Faculty, Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour (IR3C), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Resmini
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology/Medicine DepartmentsHospital Sant Pau, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBER-ER, Unidad 747), ISCIII, IIB-Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), SpainINNDACYTAvenida Europa 20, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, SpainNeuroradiology UnitHospital Sant Pau, and IIB-Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, SpainEscola Universitària d'InfermeriaHospital Sant Pau. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain andDepartment of Psychiatry and Clinical PsychobiologyPsychology Faculty, Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour (IR3C), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Crespo
authors.affiliation: INNDACYT, Avenida Europa 20, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pires
authors.affiliation: INNDACYT, Avenida Europa 20, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Vives-Gilabert
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology/Medicine DepartmentsHospital Sant Pau, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBER-ER, Unidad 747), ISCIII, IIB-Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), SpainINNDACYTAvenida Europa 20, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, SpainNeuroradiology UnitHospital Sant Pau, and IIB-Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, SpainEscola Universitària d'InfermeriaHospital Sant Pau. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain andDepartment of Psychiatry and Clinical PsychobiologyPsychology Faculty, Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour (IR3C), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Granell
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology/Medicine DepartmentsHospital Sant Pau, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBER-ER, Unidad 747), ISCIII, IIB-Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), SpainINNDACYTAvenida Europa 20, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, SpainNeuroradiology UnitHospital Sant Pau, and IIB-Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, SpainEscola Universitària d'InfermeriaHospital Sant Pau. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain andDepartment of Psychiatry and Clinical PsychobiologyPsychology Faculty, Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour (IR3C), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Valassi
authors.affiliation: Neuroradiology Unit, Hospital Sant Pau, and IIB-Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gómez-Anson
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology/Medicine DepartmentsHospital Sant Pau, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBER-ER, Unidad 747), ISCIII, IIB-Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), SpainINNDACYTAvenida Europa 20, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, SpainNeuroradiology UnitHospital Sant Pau, and IIB-Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, SpainEscola Universitària d'InfermeriaHospital Sant Pau. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain andDepartment of Psychiatry and Clinical PsychobiologyPsychology Faculty, Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour (IR3C), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain Endocrinology/Medicine DepartmentsHospital Sant Pau, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBER-ER, Unidad 747), ISCIII, IIB-Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), SpainINNDACYTAvenida Europa 20, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, SpainNeuroradiology UnitHospital Sant Pau, and IIB-Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, SpainEscola Universitària d'InfermeriaHospital Sant Pau. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain andDepartment of Psychiatry and Clinical PsychobiologyPsychology Faculty, Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour (IR3C), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: M Antonia
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Martínez-Momblán
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, Psychology Faculty, Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour (IR3C), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mataró
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology/Medicine DepartmentsHospital Sant Pau, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBER-ER, Unidad 747), ISCIII, IIB-Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), SpainINNDACYTAvenida Europa 20, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, SpainNeuroradiology UnitHospital Sant Pau, and IIB-Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, SpainEscola Universitària d'InfermeriaHospital Sant Pau. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain andDepartment of Psychiatry and Clinical PsychobiologyPsychology Faculty, Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour (IR3C), Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Webb
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002525:Cerebellar Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003480:Cushing Syndrome / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D011788:Quality of Life; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014280:Triglycerides