Alessia Sarica1, Andrea Quattrone2, Marianna Crasà1, Rita Nisticò3, Maria Grazia Vaccaro1, Maria Giovanna Bianco1, Vera Gramigna1, Marida De Maria1, Basilio Vescio3, Federico Rocca3, Aldo Quattrone4,5. 1. Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Neuroscience Research Center, Magna Graecia University, viale Europa, Germaneto, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy. 2. Institute of Neurology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Magna Graecia University, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy. 3. Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy. 4. Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Neuroscience Research Center, Magna Graecia University, viale Europa, Germaneto, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy. quattrone@unicz.it. 5. Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy. quattrone@unicz.it.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Imaging studies investigating cerebellar gray matter (GM) in essential tremor (ET) showed conflicting results. Moreover, no large study explored the cerebellum in ET patients with resting tremor (rET), a syndrome showing enhanced blink reflex recovery cycle (BRrc). OBJECTIVE: To investigate cerebellar GM in ET and rET patients using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis. METHODS: Seventy ET patients with or without resting tremor and 39 healthy controls were enrolled. All subjects underwent brain 3 T-MRI and BRrc recording. We compared the cerebellar GM volumes between ET (n = 40) and rET (n = 30) patients and controls through a VBM analysis. Moreover, we investigated possible correlations between cerebellar GM volume and R2 component of BRrc. RESULTS: rET and ET patients had similar disease duration. All rET patients and none of ET patients had enhanced BRrc. No differences in the cerebellar volume were found when ET and rET patients were compared to each other or with controls. By considering together the two tremor syndromes in a large patient group, the VBM analysis showed bilateral clusters of reduced GM volumes in Crus II in comparison with controls. The linear regression analysis in rET patients revealed a cluster in the left Crus II where the decrease in GM volume correlated with the R2BRrc increase. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that ET and rET are different tremor syndromes with similar mild cerebellar gray matter involvement. In rET patients, the left Crus II may play a role in modulating the brainstem excitability, encouraging further studies on the role of cerebellum in these patients.
BACKGROUND: Imaging studies investigating cerebellar gray matter (GM) in essential tremor (ET) showed conflicting results. Moreover, no large study explored the cerebellum in ET patients with resting tremor (rET), a syndrome showing enhanced blink reflex recovery cycle (BRrc). OBJECTIVE: To investigate cerebellar GM in ET and rET patients using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis. METHODS: Seventy ET patients with or without resting tremor and 39 healthy controls were enrolled. All subjects underwent brain 3 T-MRI and BRrc recording. We compared the cerebellar GM volumes between ET (n = 40) and rET (n = 30) patients and controls through a VBM analysis. Moreover, we investigated possible correlations between cerebellar GM volume and R2 component of BRrc. RESULTS: rET and ET patients had similar disease duration. All rET patients and none of ET patients had enhanced BRrc. No differences in the cerebellar volume were found when ET and rET patients were compared to each other or with controls. By considering together the two tremor syndromes in a large patient group, the VBM analysis showed bilateral clusters of reduced GM volumes in Crus II in comparison with controls. The linear regression analysis in rET patients revealed a cluster in the left Crus II where the decrease in GM volume correlated with the R2BRrc increase. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that ET and rET are different tremor syndromes with similar mild cerebellar gray matter involvement. In rET patients, the left Crus II may play a role in modulating the brainstem excitability, encouraging further studies on the role of cerebellum in these patients.