Otto Heikki Henrikki Manninen1, Kimmo K. Lehtimki2, Teemu Laitinen3, Tarja Joensuu1, Outi Kopra1, Anna-Elina Lehesjoki1, Olli Grhn3
1Folkhlsan Inst. of Genetics and Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; 2Department of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland; 3Dept. of Neurobiology, A.I.Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland
We implemented a recently introduced whole brain voxelwise statistical analysis method, tract based spatial statistics (TBSS), into a mouse model of neurodegenerative disease, introducing TBSS in mice. Doing black box statistical comparison of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters between controls and affected animals, TBSS revealed areas of significantly redused FA compared to controls in both brain regions known to be associated with mouse model of Unverricht-Lundborg disease as well as regions not earlier connected with the disease, promising great potential to serve as a robust screening method to guide histological analysis to novel target areas in the brain.