Open AccessStructural neuroimaging differentiates vulnerability from disease manifestation in colombian families with Huntington's disease
Author(s) -
Valdés Hernández Maria del C.,
AbuHussain Janna,
Qiu Xinyi,
Priller Josef,
Parra Rodríguez Mario,
Pino Mariana,
Báez Sandra,
Ibáñez Agustín
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
brain and behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 41
ISSN - 2162-3279
DOI - 10.1002/brb3.1343
Subject(s) - atrophy , huntington's disease , putamen , neuroimaging , globus pallidus , basal ganglia , striatum , disease , psychology , raven's progressive matrices , cognition , brain size , neuroscience , cognitive decline , pathology , medicine , magnetic resonance imaging , dementia , central nervous system , dopamine , radiology
The volume of the striatal structures has been associated with disease progression in individuals with Huntington's disease (HD) from North America, Europe, and Australia. However, it is not known whether the gray matter (GM) volume in the striatum is also sensitive in differentiating vulnerability from disease manifestation in HD families from a South‐American region known to have high incidence of the disease. In addition, the association of enlarged brain perivascular spaces (PVS) with cognitive, behavioral, and motor symptoms of HD is unknown. Materials and Methods We have analyzed neuroimaging indicators of global atrophy, PVS burden, and GM tissue volume in the basal ganglia and thalami, in relation to behavioral, motor, and cognitive scores, in 15 HD patients with overt disease manifestation and 14 first‐degree relatives not genetically tested, which represent a vulnerable group, from the region of Magdalena, Colombia. Results Poor fluid intelligence as per the Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices was associated with global brain atrophy ( p = 0.002) and PVS burden ( p ≤ 0.02) in HD patients, where the GM volume in all subcortical structures, with the exception of the right globus pallidus, was associated with motor or cognitive scores. Only the GM volume in the right putamen was associated with envy and MOCA scores ( p = 0.008 and 0.015 respectively) in first‐degree relatives. Conclusion Striatal GM volume, global brain atrophy and PVS burden may serve as differential indicators of disease manifestation in HD. The Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices could be a cognitive test worth to consider in the differentiation of vulnerability versus overt disease in HD.