Glaucoma is an optic neuropathy characterized by death of retinal ganglion cells and loss of their axons, progressively leading to blindness. Recently, glaucoma has been conceptualized as a more diffuse neurodegenerative disorder involving the optic nerve and also the entire brain. Consistently, previous studies have used a variety of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques and described widespread changes in the grey and white matter of patients. Diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) provides additional information as compared with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and consistently provides higher sensitivity to early microstructural white matter modification. In this study, we employ DKI to evaluate differences among healthy controls and a mixed population of primary open angle glaucoma patients ranging from stage I to V according to Hodapp-Parrish-Anderson visual field impairment classification. To this end, a cohort of patients affected by primary open angle glaucoma (n = 23) and a group of healthy volunteers (n = 15) were prospectively enrolled and underwent an ophthalmological evaluation followed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using a 3T MR scanner. After estimating both DTI indices, whole-brain, voxel-wise statistical comparisons were performed in white matter using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS). We found widespread differences in several white matter tracts in patients with glaucoma relative to controls in several metrics (mean kurtosis, kurtosis anisotropy, radial kurtosis, and fractional anisotropy) which involved localization well beyond the visual pathways, and involved cognitive, motor, face recognition, and orientation functions amongst others. Our findings lend further support to a causal brain involvement in glaucoma and offer alternative explanations for a number of multidomain impairments often observed in glaucoma patients.

Nucci, C., Garaci, F., Altobelli, S., Di Ciò, F., Martucci, A., Aiello, F., et al. (2020). Diffusional kurtosis imaging of white matter degeneration in glaucoma. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE, 9(10), 1-13 [10.3390/jcm9103122].

Diffusional kurtosis imaging of white matter degeneration in glaucoma

Nucci, Carlo;Garaci, Francesco;Altobelli, Simone;Martucci, Alessio;Aiello, Francesco;Cesareo, Massimo;Guerrisi, Maria Giovanna;Floris, Roberto;Toschi, Nicola
2020-01-01

Abstract

Glaucoma is an optic neuropathy characterized by death of retinal ganglion cells and loss of their axons, progressively leading to blindness. Recently, glaucoma has been conceptualized as a more diffuse neurodegenerative disorder involving the optic nerve and also the entire brain. Consistently, previous studies have used a variety of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques and described widespread changes in the grey and white matter of patients. Diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) provides additional information as compared with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and consistently provides higher sensitivity to early microstructural white matter modification. In this study, we employ DKI to evaluate differences among healthy controls and a mixed population of primary open angle glaucoma patients ranging from stage I to V according to Hodapp-Parrish-Anderson visual field impairment classification. To this end, a cohort of patients affected by primary open angle glaucoma (n = 23) and a group of healthy volunteers (n = 15) were prospectively enrolled and underwent an ophthalmological evaluation followed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using a 3T MR scanner. After estimating both DTI indices, whole-brain, voxel-wise statistical comparisons were performed in white matter using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS). We found widespread differences in several white matter tracts in patients with glaucoma relative to controls in several metrics (mean kurtosis, kurtosis anisotropy, radial kurtosis, and fractional anisotropy) which involved localization well beyond the visual pathways, and involved cognitive, motor, face recognition, and orientation functions amongst others. Our findings lend further support to a causal brain involvement in glaucoma and offer alternative explanations for a number of multidomain impairments often observed in glaucoma patients.
2020
Pubblicato
Rilevanza internazionale
Articolo
Esperti anonimi
Settore MED/30 - MALATTIE APPARATO VISIVO
Settore MED/37 - NEURORADIOLOGIA
English
diffusion tensor imaging; diffusional kurtosis imaging; magnetic resonance imaging; primary open angle glaucoma
Nucci, C., Garaci, F., Altobelli, S., Di Ciò, F., Martucci, A., Aiello, F., et al. (2020). Diffusional kurtosis imaging of white matter degeneration in glaucoma. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE, 9(10), 1-13 [10.3390/jcm9103122].
Nucci, C; Garaci, F; Altobelli, S; Di Ciò, F; Martucci, A; Aiello, F; Lanzafame, S; Di Giuliano, F; Picchi, E; Minosse, S; Cesareo, M; Guerrisi, Mg; Floris, R; Passamonti, L; Toschi, N
Articolo su rivista
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
jcm-09-03122.pdf

solo utenti autorizzati

Tipologia: Versione Editoriale (PDF)
Licenza: Non specificato
Dimensione 3.55 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
3.55 MB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri   Richiedi una copia

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2108/267684
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? 6
  • Scopus 20
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 18
social impact