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Peripheral Neuropathy: Assessment of Proximal Nerve Integrity By Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Author(s) -
Mathys Christian,
Aissa Joel,
Zu Hörste Gerd Meyer,
Reichelt Dorothea C.,
Antoch Gerald,
Turowski Bernd,
Hartung HansPeter,
Sheikh Kazim A.,
Lehmann Helmar C.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/mus.23855
Subject(s) - medicine , sciatic nerve , fractional anisotropy , diffusion mri , peripheral neuropathy , peripheral , magnetic resonance neurography , cardiology , magnetic resonance imaging , radiology , endocrinology , diabetes mellitus
: We investigated the utility of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) for detecting neuropathic changes in proximal nerve segments in patients with peripheral neuropathy. Methods : Twenty‐one individuals with ( n = 11) and without ( n = 10) peripheral neuropathy underwent DTI of a defined sciatic nerve segment. Patients and controls were evaluated by clinical examination and nerve conduction studies at baseline and 6 months after the initial DTI scan. Results : The mean fractional anisotropy (FA) value was significantly lower in sciatic nerves from patients with peripheral neuropathy as compared with controls. Sciatic nerve FA values correlated with clinical disability scores and electrophysiological parameters of axonal damage at baseline and 6 months after MRI scan. Conclusions : DTI‐derived FA values are a sensitive measure to discriminate healthy from functionally impaired human sciatic nerve segments. DTI of proximal nerve segments may be useful for estimating the proximal axonal degeneration burden in patients with peripheral neuropathies. Muscle Nerve 48 : 889–896, 2013