Abstract #0280

Behrens T, Ciccarelli O, Altmann D, Orrell R, Matthews P, Thompson A, Howard R, Johansen-Berg H, Miller D

We developed two voxel-based measures of connectivity along the tractography-derived cortico-spinal tract and studied 13 patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and 19 controls. Patients with a rapid disease progression rate had significantly lower connectivity measures than controls in the left CST. Strong associations between these connectivity measures and the rate of disease progression were found. These findings suggest that the newly developed summary connectivity measures are sensitive markers of structural damage in the CST that is associated with the rate of disease progression