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Abstract #2777

T2*-weighted imaging and quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and bulbar impairment

Graziella Donatelli1, Mauro Costagli2, Elena Caldarazzo-Ienco1, Gianmichele Migaleddu1, Paolo Cecchi3, Michela Tosetti4, Gabriele Siciliano1, and Mirco Cosottini1

1University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy, 2Imago7, Pisa, Italy, 3Azienda Ospadaliero-Universitaria Pisana, Pisa, Italy, 4Imago7 and IRCCS Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy

The T2* hypointensity of the primary motor cortex (M1), associated to an increase in iron deposits related to neuroinflammatory reaction and cortical microgliosis, has been suggested as possible MRI marker of upper motor neuron impairment in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This study investigates the orofacial subregion of M1 (fM1) in 36 patients with ALS. The evaluation of T2* signal hypointensity and quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) values in fM1 were related to patients’ bulbar functions (such as speech and swallowing) assessed clinically. Results demonstrate that QSM values were significantly higher in patients with bulbar dysfunction than in those without (p≤0.0001).

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