Imaging

Prednisolone and deflazacort have been proven to be effective in slowing down Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) disease progression. Previous studies in other pathologies demonstrated corticosteroids can cross the blood-brain barrier and cause brain atrophy. In this pilot study, we assessed the effect of both compounds on brain structure in boys with DMD. 3D T1-weighted images were obtained on a 3T Philips system at two different sites. Scans from 20 DMD patients (n=10 daily deflazacort (13.1 ±3.1y), n=10 10 days on/10 days off prednisolone (13.0±3.0y)) and 16 age-matched healthy controls (14.0±2.8y) were processed using FSL software to calculate intracranial (ICV), total brain (TBV), grey matter (GMV), white matter (WMV) and CSF volumes.
Source: Neuromuscular Disorders - Category: Neurology Authors: Source Type: research