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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