BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: CADASIL is the most frequent hereditary small-vessel disease of the brain. The clinical impact of various MR imaging markers has been repeatedly studied in this disorder, but alterations of contrast between gray matter and normal-appearing white matter remain unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the contrast alterations between gray matter and normal-appearing white matter on T1-weighted images in patients with CADASIL compared with healthy subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Contrast between gray matter and normal-appearing white matter was assessed by using histogram analyses of 3D T1 high-resolution MR imaging in 23 patients with CADASIL at the initial stage of the disease (Mini-Mental State Examination score > 24 and modified Rankin scale score ≤ 1; mean age, 53.5 ± 11.1 years) and 30 age- and sex-matched controls. RESULTS: T1 contrast between gray matter and normal-appearing white matter was significantly reduced in patients compared with age- and sex-matched controls (patients: 1.35 ± 0.08 versus controls: 1.43 ± 0.04, P < 10(-5)). This reduction was mainly driven by a signal decrease in normal-appearing white matter. Contrast loss was strongly related to the volume of white matter hyperintensities. CONCLUSIONS: Conventional 3D T1 imaging shows significant loss of contrast between gray matter and normal-appearing white matter in CADASIL. This probably reflects tissue changes in normal-appearing white matter outside signal abnormalities on T2 or FLAIR sequences. These contrast alterations should be taken into account for image interpretation and postprocessing.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: CADASIL is the most frequent hereditary small-vessel disease of the brain. The clinical impact of various MR imaging markers has been repeatedly studied in this disorder, but alterations of contrast between gray matter and normal-appearing white matter remain unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the contrast alterations between gray matter and normal-appearing white matter on T1-weighted images in patients with CADASIL compared with healthy subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Contrast between gray matter and normal-appearing white matter was assessed by using histogram analyses of 3D T1 high-resolution MR imaging in 23 patients with CADASIL at the initial stage of the disease (Mini-Mental State Examination score > 24 and modified Rankin scale score ≤ 1; mean age, 53.5 ± 11.1 years) and 30 age- and sex-matched controls. RESULTS: T1 contrast between gray matter and normal-appearing white matter was significantly reduced in patients compared with age- and sex-matched controls (patients: 1.35 ± 0.08 versus controls: 1.43 ± 0.04, P < 10(-5)). This reduction was mainly driven by a signal decrease in normal-appearing white matter. Contrast loss was strongly related to the volume of white matter hyperintensities. CONCLUSIONS: Conventional 3D T1 imaging shows significant loss of contrast between gray matter and normal-appearing white matter in CADASIL. This probably reflects tissue changes in normal-appearing white matter outside signal abnormalities on T2 or FLAIR sequences. These contrast alterations should be taken into account for image interpretation and postprocessing.
Authors: Y-C Zhu; C Dufouil; B Mazoyer; A Soumaré; F Ricolfi; C Tzourio; H Chabriat Journal: AJNR Am J Neuroradiol Date: 2011-02-24 Impact factor: 3.825
Authors: H Chabriat; S Pappata; C Poupon; C A Clark; K Vahedi; F Poupon; J F Mangin; M Pachot-Clouard; A Jobert; D Le Bihan; M G Bousser Journal: Stroke Date: 1999-12 Impact factor: 7.914
Authors: Marco Duering; Nikola Zieren; Dominique Hervé; Eric Jouvent; Sonia Reyes; Nils Peters; Chahin Pachai; Christian Opherk; Hugues Chabriat; Martin Dichgans Journal: Brain Date: 2011-07-14 Impact factor: 13.501
Authors: T A Yousry; K Seelos; M Mayer; R Brüning; I Uttner; M Dichgans; S Mammi; A Straube; N Mai; M Filippi Journal: AJNR Am J Neuroradiol Date: 1999-01 Impact factor: 3.825
Authors: François De Guio; Marco Duering; Franz Fazekas; Frank-Erik De Leeuw; Steven M Greenberg; Leonardo Pantoni; Agnès Aghetti; Eric E Smith; Joanna Wardlaw; Eric Jouvent Journal: J Cereb Blood Flow Metab Date: 2019-11-20 Impact factor: 6.200
Authors: François De Guio; Sonia Reyes; Alexandre Vignaud; Marco Duering; Stefan Ropele; Edouard Duchesnay; Hugues Chabriat; Eric Jouvent Journal: PLoS One Date: 2014-08-28 Impact factor: 3.240