Giovanni Giulietti1,
Barbara Spano'1, Valentina Battistoni1, Laura Serra1,
Carlo Caltagirone2, 3, Marco Bozzali1, Mara
Cercignani4
1Neuroimaging
Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy; 2Clinical and
Behavioural Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy; 3Departement
of Neuroscience, "Tor Vergata" University, Rome, Italy; 4Clinical
Imaging Sciences Centre, Brighton & Sussex Medical School, Brighton,
United Kingdom
Magnetization-transfer imaging (MTI) has previously shown, in patients with Miotonic Dystrophy type-1 (MD1) and no (or minimal) white matter (WM) lesions, lower cortical MT-ratios (MTRs) and cortical atrophy. No significant MTR changes were observed in patients normal-appearing WM. Using Quantitative-MTI(qMTI), a technique providing a more complete characterization of the MT phenomenon, we investigated here a similar group of MD1 patients. Our findings confirm previous MTI results and produce, by additional qMT parameters, a better characterization of the brain damage. Overall, we suggest that neocortical pathology, unrelated to WM lesion formation, occurs in MD1 patients brain tissue and is clinically relevant.