The aetiopathogenesis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) remains elusive, with studies suggesting a neurological basis. Using a case control, multimodal approach incorporating volumetry and diffusion tensor imaging, we characterised brain MRI changes in AIS. The pontine volume was significantly larger while left insula was smaller in patients than controls. Whole brain Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) showed no difference between subject cohorts. Tractography of the corticoreticular pathway (CRP), which innervates the axial muscles, showed significant differences in mean and axial diffusivity between the left and right CRP only in the patient cohort, but no such asymmetry in the control cohort.
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