Functional disconnection of thalamic and cerebellar dentate nucleus networks in progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal syndrome.
To assess functional rearrangement following neurodegeneration in the thalamus and dentate nucleus in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal syndrome (CBS).



We recruited 19 patients with PSP, 11 with CBS and 14 healthy subjects. All the subjects underwent resting-state (rs) fMRI using a 3T system. Whole brain functional connectivity of the thalamus and dentate nucleus were calculated by means of a seed-based approach with FEAT script in FSL toolbox. Thalamic volume was calculated by means of FIRST, and the dentate area by means of Jim software.



Both thalamic volume and dentate area were significantly smaller in PSP and CBS patients than in healthy subjects. No significant difference emerged in thalamic volume between PSP and CBS patients, whereas dentate area was significantly smaller in PSP than in CBS. Thalamic functional connectivity was significantly reduced in both patient groups in various cortical, subcortical and cerebellar areas. By contrast, changes in dentate nucleus functional connectivity differed in PSP and CBS: it decreased in subcortical and prefrontal cortical areas in PSP, but increased asymmetrically in the frontal cortex in CBS.



Evaluating the dentate nucleus size and its functional connectivity may help to differentiate patients with PSP from those with CBS.
Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy.
Neeraj
N
Upadhyay
Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy; IRCCS Neuromed Institute, Pozzilli (IS), Italy.
Antonio
A
Suppa
Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy.
Maria Cristina
MC
Piattella
Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy.
Costanza
C
Giannì
Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy; IRCCS Neuromed Institute, Pozzilli (IS), Italy.
Matteo
M
Bologna
IRCCS Neuromed Institute, Pozzilli (IS), Italy.
Flavio
F
Di Stasio
Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy.
Nikolaos
N
Petsas
Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy.
Francesca
F
Tona
Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy; IRCCS Neuromed Institute, Pozzilli (IS), Italy.
Giovanni
G
Fabbrini
Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy; IRCCS Neuromed Institute, Pozzilli (IS), Italy.
Alfredo
A
Berardelli
Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy; IRCCS Neuromed Institute, Pozzilli (IS), Italy. Electronic address: patrizia.pantano@uniroma1.it.
Patrizia
P
Pantano
D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001480:Basal Ganglia Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D002529:Cerebellar Nuclei / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D013494:Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive / Q000473:pathology*; D013788:Thalamus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*
D010100:Oxygen
Corticobasal syndrome; Dentate nucleus; Functional connectivity; Progressive supranuclear palsy; Thalamus