title: Neuroimaging correlates of blinking abnormalities in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to identify the possible relationship between blinking abnormalities and neuroimaging changes in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 18 patients with progressive supranuclear palsy and 13 healthy subjects. Voluntary and spontaneous blinking were recorded using kinematic techniques. Changes in brain structures were detected by T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and voxel-based morphometry. We then sought possible correlations between blinking and neuroimaging abnormalities in patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Kinematic analysis indicated several abnormalities during voluntary blinking and a markedly reduced spontaneous blink rate in patients compared with healthy subjects. Neuroimaging showed gray matter loss in cortical and subcortical structures and lower white matter volume in the brainstem. Gray matter loss in subcortical structures correlated with the prolonged pause duration between the closing and opening phases, during voluntary blinking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides a more specific insight into the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying blinking abnormalities in progressive supranuclear palsy.
authors.affiliation: Neuromed Institute IRCCS, Pozzilli (IS), Italy.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bologna
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Piattella
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Neeraj
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Upadhyay
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Formica
authors.affiliation: Neuromed Institute IRCCS, Pozzilli (IS), Italy.|Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Conte
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Colosimo
authors.affiliation: Neuromed Institute IRCCS, Pozzilli (IS), Italy.|Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pantano
authors.affiliation: Neuromed Institute IRCCS, Pozzilli (IS), Italy.|Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berardelli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001767:Blinking / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013494:Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: blinking; kinematic; motor control; neuroimaging; progressive supranuclear palsy