Jeehye Seo1, Jae-jun Lee1,
Hui-jin Song1, Joo-hyun Kim1, Kyung Jin Suh2,
Sung Woo Kim2, Young Hwan Lee3, Dong Soo Yoo4,
Yongmin Chang1,5
1Medical & Biological Engineering,
Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea, Republic of; 2Radiology,
College of Medicine, Dongguk University, Gyungju; 3Radiology,
College of Medicine, Catholic University, Daegu; 4Radiology, College
of Medicine, Dankook University, Chunan; 5Diagnostic Radiology,
Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea, Republic of
Excessive
accumulation of Mn in the globus pallidus(GP) is known to cause cognitive and
motor deficits in human. Until now pallidal index(PI) in terms of T1 bright
signal intensity at GP is only imaging diagnostic measure to manganism.
Currently no functional measure is available for motor behavior of manganese
exposure in vivo. The aim of this study investigates motor behavior of
manganese exposure compared to normal group using simple motor task. Compared
to normal controls, the welder groups showed widespread activations in the
supplementary motor area, cingulate motor areas and bilaterally increased
activation in the parietal lobe and frontal lobe. This observation suggests
the change of motor network in response to Mn accumulation. Therefore, motor
fMRI is quite sensitive measure to change of motor network of Mn exposed
brain even without T1 high signal at GP and has a great potential as
functional diagnostic tool of damaged motor system in occupational exposure
to Mn.