Federica
Agosta1, Elisabetta Pagani1, Melissa Petrolini1,
Maria Pia Sormani2, Domenico Caputo3, Michele Perini4,
Alessandro Prelle5, Fabrizio Salvi6, Massimo Filippi1
1Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute
of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, Scientific Institute and
University Hospital San Raffaele, Milan, Italy; 2Unit of
Biostatistics, DISSAL, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; 3Department
of Neurology, Scientific Institute Fondazione Don Gnocchi, Milan, Italy; 4Department
of Neurology, Ospedale di Gallarate, Gallarate, Italy; 5Dino
Ferrari Center, Department of Neuroscience, University of Milan, Milan,
Italy; 6Department of Neurology, Ospedale di Bellaria, University
of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
We
investigated whether corticospinal tract (CST) DT-MRI changes contribute to
the prediction of long-term clinical evolution in patients with amyotrophic
laterals sclerosis (ALS). Conventional and DT-MRI were obtained in 24 ALS
patients, who were followed prospectively for 3.4 years. Compared with
controls, ALS patients showed increased MD and decreased FA of the CST.
Shorter disease duration and lower CST FA were associated with disability
worsening. Bulbar-onset and CST FA were independent predictors of time to
death in ALS patients. More severe DT-MRI abnormalities in the CST predicted
a poorer clinical outcome after a 3.4 year follow up in ALS patients.
Keywords