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Neuropsychological profile assessment of patients with spinocerebelar ataxia type 3: correlations with structural and spectroscopy neuroimaging and CAG lenghts

Full text
Author(s):
Tátila Martins Lopes
Total Authors: 1
Document type: Master's Dissertation
Press: Campinas, SP.
Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Ciências Médicas
Defense date:
Examining board members:
Fernando Cendes; Antonio Carlos dos Santos; Priscila Camile Barioni Salgado
Advisor: Marcio Luiz Figueredo Balthazar; Fernando Cendes
Abstract

The Machado- Joseph disease or spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (MJD/SCA3) is characterized by ataxic gait and extracerebellar signs. Neuropsychiatric and cognitive impairment have demonstrated, however there is no consensus on the cognitive domains altered. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the neuropsychological features in SCA3 and correlate the cognitive findings with the gray matter (GM) volume, integrity of white matter, by means of the fractional anisotropy (WM-FA), cerebellar metabolites, CAG lengths, disease duration and severity. Participated 32 SCA3 patients matched by age, gender and educational level with 32 healthy control group. We acquired MRI-3T-3D, T1- weighted for voxel-based-morfometry, processed and analyzed using the SPM8 software, diffusion tensor images (DTI) processed and analyzed by FSL software and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (RMS- single voxel cerebellum) analyzed using LCModel software. All participants underwent the same neuropsychological evaluation. Only SCA3 patients underwent the scale for the assessment and rating of ataxia and Neuropsychiatric inventory. We used the Mann-Whitney test to compare the differences between the groups regarding the NPs and Spearman correlation between the cognitive findings and the cerebellar metabolites, FA values, CAG repeats, disease duration and severity. We used p<0.05 noncorrected for multiple comparison. For GM analysis used cluster-size=50 voxel, p<0.001 (uncorrected). We found significant differences between groups in the tests: Rey auditory verbal learning test (RAVLT)-coding [p=0.001], delayed recall [p=0.001] and recognition [p=0.027], progressive matrices [p=0.003]; Corsi block span-forward [p=0.002]; Corsi block span-backward [p=0.001]; digit span-forward [p=0.024]; semantic verbal fluency [p=0.029]; and symptoms indicative of depression [p<0.001] and anxiety [p<0.001]. The qualitative analysis showed mild impairment in the test RAVLT-coding and inferior medium impairment in the other tests. There were positive correlations between RAVLT-coding and temporal cortex areas, frontal, insula and culmen cerebellar; RAVLT-delayed recall and precentral gyrus, culmen, frontal cortex areas, temporal and parietal lobes; RAVLTrecognition and frontal gyrus; progressive matrices and precuneus and temporal gyrus; Corsi block span- forward and parietal lobe; digit span-forward and temporal gyrus; semantic verbal fluency with precentral gyrus (p<0.001). We found correlation between FA value of brainsteam in SCA3 patients and digits spanforward [rs=0.485]. There were difference between groups related to cerebellar metabolites: N-Acetyl-Aspartate [p<0.001], N-Acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate [p<0.001], glutamate [p=0.017], glutamine [p=0.005], phosphorylcholine [p=0.019] e glycerophosphorylcholine [p=0.014], except creatine [p=0.522] and inositol [p=0.475]. A significant correlation was found between: Corsi block span-forward with glutamate (rs=-0.419) and glutamine (rs=-0.405); verbal fluency with phosphorylcoline (rs=0.661) and glycerophosphorylcholine (rs=0.692); digits spanforward with N-acetyl-Aspartate (rs=0.418) and N-Acetyl-Aspartyl-glutamate (rs=0.432). We found no significant correlation between cognitive findings and clinical variables and CAG lengths. We found no significant correlation between the cognitive findings and clinical and genetic variables. The results suggest there are episodic and working memory dysfunction and visuospatial disabilities in the SCA3 associated with encephalic alterations. The lack of correlation between the neuropsychiatric abnormalities and genetic and clinics features suggest this variables occur independently of primary disease progression (AU)

FAPESP's process: 10/12084-6 - Neuropsichology assessment of patients with Machado Joseph Disease: correlation with structural neuroimage, spectroscopy and expansion of CAG
Grantee:Tátila Martins Lopes
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master