title: White Matter Microstructure in Idiopathic Craniocervical Dystonia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dystonias are hyperkinetic movement disorders characterized by involuntary muscle contractions resulting in abnormal torsional movements and postures. Recent neuroimaging studies in idiopathic craniocervical dystonia (CCD) have uncovered the involvement of multiple areas, including cortical ones. Our goal was to evaluate white matter (WM) microstructure in subjects with CCD using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared 40 patients with 40 healthy controls. Patients were then divided into subgroups: cervical dystonia, blepharospasm, blepharospasm + oromandibular dystonia, blepharospasm + oromandibular dystonia + cervical dystonia, using tract-based spatial statistics. We performed a region of interest-based analysis and tractography as confirmatory tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference in the mean fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) between the groups in any analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lack of DTI changes in CCD suggests that the WM tracts are not primarily affected.
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Laboratory, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Giordanna L S
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Laboratory, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rachel P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiza G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Piovesana
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Laboratory, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Brunno M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lidiane S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paula C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Azevedo
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabio R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Augusto C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Amato-Filho
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Laboratory, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil ; Department of Neurology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcondes C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: França
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Iscia
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lopes-Cendes
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Laboratory, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil ; Department of Neurology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cendes
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Laboratory, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil ; Department of Neurology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Anelyssa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Abreu
keywords: Craniocervical dystonia; blepharospasm; diffusion tensor imaging; idiopathic dystonia