Multimodal MRI Assessment of Thalamic Structural Changes in Earthquake Survivors

Bruno, Federico and Splendiani, Alessandra and Tommasino, Emanuele and Conson, Massimiliano and Quarantelli, Mario and Saporito, Gennaro and Carolei, Antonio and Sacco, Simona and Di Cesare, Ernesto and Barile, Antonio and Masciocchi, Carlo and Pistoia, Francesca (2021) Multimodal MRI Assessment of Thalamic Structural Changes in Earthquake Survivors. Diagnostics, 11 (1). p. 70. ISSN 2075-4418

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Abstract

Moving from the central role of the thalamus in the integration of inner and external stimuli and in the implementation of a stress-related response, the objective of the present study was to investigate the presence of any MRI structural and volumetric changes of the thalamic structures in earthquake witnesses. Forty-one subjects were included, namely 18 university students belonging to the experimental earthquake-exposed group (8 males and 10 females, mean age 24.5 ± 1.8 years) and a control group of 23 students not living in any earthquake-affected areas at the time of the earthquake (14 males and 9 females, mean age 23.7 ± 2.0 years). Instrumental MRI evaluation was performed using a 3-Tesla scanner, by acquiring a three-dimensional fast spoiled gradient-echo (FSPGR) sequence for volumetric analysis and an EPI (echoplanar imaging) sequence to extract fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values. As compared to the control one, the experimental group showed significantly lower gray matter volume in the mediodorsal nucleus of the left thalamus (p < 0.001). The dominant hemisphere thalamus in the experimental group showed higher mean ADC values and lower mean FA values as compared to the control group.

Item Type: Article
Subjects: Institute Archives > Medical Science
Depositing User: Managing Editor
Date Deposited: 29 Nov 2022 04:43
Last Modified: 04 Jul 2024 06:37
URI: http://eprint.subtopublish.com/id/eprint/521

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