Elisa Scola1, Federica Agosta2,
Elisa Canu2, Lidia Sarro2, Alessandra Marcone3,
Chiara Cerami3, Giuseppe Magnani4, Francesca Caso4,
Stefano Francesco Cappa3,5, Massimo Filippi2, Andrea
Falini1,6
1Neuroradiology - CERMAC,
San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; 2Neuroimaging
Research Unit, Scientific Institute & University San Raffaele Hospital,
Milan, Italy; 3San Raffaele Turro Hospital, Department of Clinical
Neurosciences, Milan, Italy; 4Department of Neurology, Institute
of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, Scientific Institute
& University San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy; 5Vita Salute
University & Department of Clinical Neurosciences, San Raffaele
Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; 6Vita Salute University, San
Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
The aim of this study was to assess the patterns of white matter (WM) tract damage in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and primary progressive aphasia (PPA). WM damage was investigated globally in a voxel-by-voxel analysis as well as in specific fibre tracts. DT MRI demonstrated specific patterns of WM damage in bvFTD and PPA patients. Although WM abnormalities mirrored the patterns of grey matter (GM) atrophy, diffusivity changes were also identified in more posterior brain regions, which may be atrophied later in the course of the disease.