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Dentatorubrothalamic tract reduction using fixel-based analysis in corticobasal syndrome

  • Diagnostic Neuroradiology
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Abstract

Purpose

The word “fixel” refers to the specific fiber population within each voxel, and fixel-based analysis (FBA) is a recently developed technique that facilitates fiber tract-specific statistical analysis. The aim of the paper is to apply FBA to detect impaired fibers for corticobasal syndrome (CBS) especially in regions that contain multiple crossed fibers.

Methods

FBA was performed in cohorts of participants clinically diagnosed with CBS (n = 10) and Parkinson’s disease (n = 15) or in healthy controls (n = 9). The parameters of the diffusion weighted image were echo time, 83 ms; time, 8123.6 ms; flip angle, 90°; section thickness, 2 mm; b = 1000 s/mm2; and 32 axes. Diffusion tensor analysis was conducted using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS), and white matter volume was estimated via voxel-based morphometry.

Results

A comparison of PD or HC to CBS revealed a significant difference in the dentatorubrothalamic tract of the brainstem in FBA in addition to the affected regions in voxel-based morphometry and TBSS (family-wise error-corrected p < 0.05). Reduction of the white matter fibers crossing the brainstem could not be detected via microstructural changes identified using TBSS, but it was detected using FBA.

Conclusion

FBA has some advantages in determining the distribution of corticobasal syndrome lesions.

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Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the patients, researchers, and clinicians involved in the Hyogo College of Medicine and Dr. Igeta for advice on statistical data.

Funding

No funding was received for this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Hyogo College of Medicine, 1-1 Mukogawa-cho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, 663-8501, Japan

    Shun Sakamoto, Takashi Kimura, Koji Kajiyama, Masanaka Takeda & Hiroo Yoshikawa

  2. Department of Radiology, Hyogo College of Medicine, 1-1 Mukogawa-cho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, 663-8501, Japan

    Kumiko Ando

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  1. Shun Sakamoto
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  2. Takashi Kimura
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Correspondence to Takashi Kimura.

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Sakamoto, S., Kimura, T., Kajiyama, K. et al. Dentatorubrothalamic tract reduction using fixel-based analysis in corticobasal syndrome. Neuroradiology 63, 529–538 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-020-02559-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-020-02559-w

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