title: Intact sensory-motor network structure and function in far from onset premanifest Huntington's disease.
abstract: Structural and functional changes attributable to the neurodegenerative process in Huntington's disease (HD) may be evident in HTT CAG repeat expansion carriers before the clinical manifestations of HD. It remains unclear, though, how far from motor onset a consistent signature of the neurodegenerative process in HD can be detected. Twelve far from onset preHD and 22 age-matched healthy control participants underwent volumetric structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and resting-state functional MRI (11 preHD, 22 controls) as well as electrophysiological measurements (12 preHD, 13 controls). There were no significant differences in white matter macro- and microstructure between far from onset preHD participants and controls. Functional connectivity in a basal ganglia-thalamic and motor networks, all measures of the motor efferent and sensory afferent pathways as well as sensory-motor integration were also similar in far from onset preHD and controls. With the methods used in far from onset preHD sensory-motor neural macro- or micro-structure and brain function were similar to healthy controls. This suggests that any observable structural and functional change in preHD nearer to onset, or in manifest HD, at least using comparable techniques such as in this study, most likely reflects an ongoing neurodegenerative process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gorges
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Isabella Maria Sophie
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Gesa Sophie
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Grupe
authors.affiliation: Section Neuropsychology and Functional Imaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kammer
authors.affiliation: Section Neuropsychology and Functional Imaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grön
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kassubek
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: G Bernhard
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Landwehrmeyer
authors.affiliation: Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Department of General Psychiatry, Heidelberg University, Germany.
authors.forename: Robert Christian
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Orth
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods; D004525:Efferent Pathways / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D066127:White Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology