Thalamic volume differentiates multiple sclerosis from neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder: MRI-based retrospective study
Multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) are distinct demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system, each characterized by unique patterns of motor, sensory, and visual dysfunction. While MS typically affects the brain and spinal cord, NMOSD predominantly ta...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Neurology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2024.1491193/full |
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| author | Manal Alosaimi Hatham Alkanhal Saleh Aldeligan Nuha Alkhawajah Alaa Albishi Bander Hilabi Salman Aljarallah |
| author_facet | Manal Alosaimi Hatham Alkanhal Saleh Aldeligan Nuha Alkhawajah Alaa Albishi Bander Hilabi Salman Aljarallah |
| author_sort | Manal Alosaimi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) are distinct demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system, each characterized by unique patterns of motor, sensory, and visual dysfunction. While MS typically affects the brain and spinal cord, NMOSD predominantly targets the optic nerves and spinal cord. This study aims to elucidate the morphometric differences between MS and NMOSD by focusing on gray matter volume changes in specific brain regions. We also examined if temporal changes in follow-up MRI differentiate the two disorders. We analyzed anatomical T1-weighted MRI scans from 24 patients with NMOSD and 25 patients with MS using the CAT12 toolbox. Our analysis revealed significant differences in gray matter structure between the two patient groups. Notably, the thalamus was found to be consistently smaller in patients with MS compared to those with NMOSD. This finding aligns with previous research highlighting thalamic atrophy as a hallmark of MS and further underscores the thalamus’s role in the disease’s pathology. These results provide valuable insights into the distinct neuroanatomical features of MS and NMOSD, contributing to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying these diseases. The study also emphasizes the importance of advanced imaging techniques in differentiating between MS and NMOSD, which may have implications for diagnosis and treatment strategies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-49a4ef904c984b32a5c4adcecffb58d7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-2295 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Neurology |
| spelling | doaj-art-49a4ef904c984b32a5c4adcecffb58d72025-01-03T06:47:36ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neurology1664-22952025-01-011510.3389/fneur.2024.14911931491193Thalamic volume differentiates multiple sclerosis from neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder: MRI-based retrospective studyManal Alosaimi0Hatham Alkanhal1Saleh Aldeligan2Nuha Alkhawajah3Alaa Albishi4Bander Hilabi5Salman Aljarallah6Department of Radiological Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Radiological Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Health Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Medical Imaging Administration, King Saud Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaMultiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) are distinct demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system, each characterized by unique patterns of motor, sensory, and visual dysfunction. While MS typically affects the brain and spinal cord, NMOSD predominantly targets the optic nerves and spinal cord. This study aims to elucidate the morphometric differences between MS and NMOSD by focusing on gray matter volume changes in specific brain regions. We also examined if temporal changes in follow-up MRI differentiate the two disorders. We analyzed anatomical T1-weighted MRI scans from 24 patients with NMOSD and 25 patients with MS using the CAT12 toolbox. Our analysis revealed significant differences in gray matter structure between the two patient groups. Notably, the thalamus was found to be consistently smaller in patients with MS compared to those with NMOSD. This finding aligns with previous research highlighting thalamic atrophy as a hallmark of MS and further underscores the thalamus’s role in the disease’s pathology. These results provide valuable insights into the distinct neuroanatomical features of MS and NMOSD, contributing to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying these diseases. The study also emphasizes the importance of advanced imaging techniques in differentiating between MS and NMOSD, which may have implications for diagnosis and treatment strategies.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2024.1491193/fullmultiple sclerosisneuromyelitis opticathalamusvolumeCAT12MRI |
| spellingShingle | Manal Alosaimi Hatham Alkanhal Saleh Aldeligan Nuha Alkhawajah Alaa Albishi Bander Hilabi Salman Aljarallah Thalamic volume differentiates multiple sclerosis from neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder: MRI-based retrospective study Frontiers in Neurology multiple sclerosis neuromyelitis optica thalamus volume CAT12 MRI |
| title | Thalamic volume differentiates multiple sclerosis from neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder: MRI-based retrospective study |
| title_full | Thalamic volume differentiates multiple sclerosis from neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder: MRI-based retrospective study |
| title_fullStr | Thalamic volume differentiates multiple sclerosis from neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder: MRI-based retrospective study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Thalamic volume differentiates multiple sclerosis from neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder: MRI-based retrospective study |
| title_short | Thalamic volume differentiates multiple sclerosis from neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder: MRI-based retrospective study |
| title_sort | thalamic volume differentiates multiple sclerosis from neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder mri based retrospective study |
| topic | multiple sclerosis neuromyelitis optica thalamus volume CAT12 MRI |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2024.1491193/full |
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