Cerebello-Thalamo-Cortical MR Spectroscopy in Patients with Essential Tremor Undergoing MRgFUS Thalamotomy: A Pilot Study

Federico Bruno; Emanuele Tommasino; Alessia Catalucci; Veronica Piccin; Antonio Innocenzi; Maria Ester Carugno; Filippo Colarieti; Leonardo Pertici; Antonio Di Gioia; Claudia D’Alessandro; Cristina Fagotti; Patrizia Sucapane; Francesca Pistoia; Pierpaolo Palumbo; Francesco Arrigoni; Ernesto Di Cesare; Carmine Marini; Antonio Barile; Alessandra Splendiani; Carlo Masciocchi

doi:10.3390/life12111741

Life (Oct 2022)

Cerebello-Thalamo-Cortical MR Spectroscopy in Patients with Essential Tremor Undergoing MRgFUS Thalamotomy: A Pilot Study

Federico Bruno,
Emanuele Tommasino,
Alessia Catalucci,
Veronica Piccin,
Antonio Innocenzi,
Maria Ester Carugno,
Filippo Colarieti,
Leonardo Pertici,
Antonio Di Gioia,
Claudia D’Alessandro,
Cristina Fagotti,
Patrizia Sucapane,
Francesca Pistoia,
Pierpaolo Palumbo,
Francesco Arrigoni,
Ernesto Di Cesare,
Carmine Marini,
Antonio Barile,
Alessandra Splendiani,
Carlo Masciocchi

Affiliations

Federico Bruno: Emergency Radiology, San Salvatore Hospital, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Emanuele Tommasino: Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Alessia Catalucci: Neuroradiology and Interventional Radiology, San Salvatore Hospital, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Veronica Piccin: Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Antonio Innocenzi: Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Maria Ester Carugno: Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Filippo Colarieti: Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Leonardo Pertici: Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Antonio Di Gioia: Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Claudia D’Alessandro: Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Cristina Fagotti: Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Patrizia Sucapane: Neurology, San Salvatore Hospital, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Francesca Pistoia: Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Pierpaolo Palumbo: Italian Society of Medical and Intervention Radiology (SIRM), SIRM Foundation, 20122 Milan, Italy
Francesco Arrigoni: Emergency Radiology, San Salvatore Hospital, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Ernesto Di Cesare: Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Carmine Marini: Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Antonio Barile: Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Alessandra Splendiani: Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Carlo Masciocchi: Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/life12111741
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 12, no. 11
p. 1741

Abstract

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Previous literature studies explored the association between brain neurometabolic changes detected by MR spectroscopy and symptoms in patients with tremor, as well as the outcome after deep brain stimulation (DBS) treatment. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the possible changes in cerebello-thalamo-cortical neurometabolic findings using MR spectroscopy in patients submitted to MRgFUS thalamotomy. For this pilot study, we enrolled 10 ET patients eligible for MRgFUS thalamotomy. All patients were preoperatively submitted to 3T MR spectroscopy. Single-voxel MRS measurements were performed at the level of the thalamus contralateral to the treated side and the ipsilateral cerebellar dentate nucleus. Multivoxel acquisition was used for MRS at the level of the contralateral motor cortex. At the 6-month follow-up after treatment, we found a statistically significant increase in the Cho/Cr ratio at the level of the thalamus, a significant increase of the NAA/Cr ratio at the level of the dentate nucleus and a significant decrease of the NAA/Cho ratio at the level of the motor cortex. We found a significant positive correlation between cortical NAA/Cr and clinical improvement (i.e., tremor reduction) after treatment. A significant negative correlation was found between clinical improvement and thalamic and cerebellar NAA/Cr. Confirming some previous literature observations, our preliminary results revealed neurometabolic changes and suggest a possible prognostic role of the MRS assessment in patients with ET treated by MRgFUS.

Published in Life

ISSN: 2075-1729 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/life

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