Characterization of Cerebellar Atrophy and Resting State Functional Connectivity Patterns in Sporadic Adult-Onset Ataxia of Unknown Etiology (SAOA).

Characterization of Cerebellar Atrophy and Resting State Functional Connectivity Patterns in Sporadic Adult-Onset Ataxia of Unknown Etiology (SAOA). Cerebellum. 2019 Aug 17;: Authors: Jiang X, Faber J, Giordano I, Machts J, Kindler C, Dudesek A, Speck O, Kamm C, Düzel E, Jessen F, Spottke A, Vielhaber S, Boecker H, Klockgether T, Scheef L Abstract Sporadic adult-onset ataxia of unknown etiology (SAOA) is a non-genetic neurodegenerative disorder of the cerebellum of unknown cause which manifests with progressive ataxia without severe autonomic failure. Although SAOA is associated with cerebellar degeneration, little is known about the specific cerebellar atrophy pattern in SAOA. Thirty-seven SAOA patients and 49 healthy controls (HCs) were included at two centers. We investigated the structural and functional characteristics of SAOA brains using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and resting-state functional imaging (rs-fMRI). In order to examine the functional consequence of structural cerebellar alterations, the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and degree centrality (DC) were analyzed, and then assessed their relation with disease severity, disease duration, and age of onset within these regions. Group differences were investigated using two-sample t tests, controlling for age, gender, site, and the total intracranial volume. The VBM analysis revealed a significant, mostly bilateral reduction of local gray matter (GM) volum...
Source: Cerebellum - Category: Neuroscience Authors: Tags: Cerebellum Source Type: research