Multimodal MRI Assessment of Thalamic Structural Changes in Earthquake Survivors

Federico Bruno; Alessandra Splendiani; Emanuele Tommasino; Massimiliano Conson; Mario Quarantelli; Gennaro Saporito; Antonio Carolei; Simona Sacco; Ernesto Di Cesare; Antonio Barile; Carlo Masciocchi; Francesca Pistoia

doi:10.3390/diagnostics11010070

Diagnostics (Jan 2021)

Multimodal MRI Assessment of Thalamic Structural Changes in Earthquake Survivors

Federico Bruno,
Alessandra Splendiani,
Emanuele Tommasino,
Massimiliano Conson,
Mario Quarantelli,
Gennaro Saporito,
Antonio Carolei,
Simona Sacco,
Ernesto Di Cesare,
Antonio Barile,
Carlo Masciocchi,
Francesca Pistoia

Affiliations

Federico Bruno: Department of Biotechnology and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Alessandra Splendiani: Department of Biotechnology and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Emanuele Tommasino: Department of Biotechnology and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Massimiliano Conson: Laboratory of Developmental Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy
Mario Quarantelli: Institute of Biostructure and Bioimaging, National Research Council, 80100 Naples, Italy
Gennaro Saporito: Department of Biotechnology and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Antonio Carolei: Department of Biotechnology and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Simona Sacco: Department of Biotechnology and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Ernesto Di Cesare: Department of Biotechnology and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Antonio Barile: Department of Biotechnology and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Carlo Masciocchi: Department of Biotechnology and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Francesca Pistoia: Department of Biotechnology and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11010070
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 11, no. 1
p. 70

Abstract

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Moving from the central role of the thalamus in the integration of inner and external stimuli and in the implementation of a stress-related response, the objective of the present study was to investigate the presence of any MRI structural and volumetric changes of the thalamic structures in earthquake witnesses. Forty-one subjects were included, namely 18 university students belonging to the experimental earthquake-exposed group (8 males and 10 females, mean age 24.5 ± 1.8 years) and a control group of 23 students not living in any earthquake-affected areas at the time of the earthquake (14 males and 9 females, mean age 23.7 ± 2.0 years). Instrumental MRI evaluation was performed using a 3-Tesla scanner, by acquiring a three-dimensional fast spoiled gradient-echo (FSPGR) sequence for volumetric analysis and an EPI (echoplanar imaging) sequence to extract fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values. As compared to the control one, the experimental group showed significantly lower gray matter volume in the mediodorsal nucleus of the left thalamus (p < 0.001). The dominant hemisphere thalamus in the experimental group showed higher mean ADC values and lower mean FA values as compared to the control group.

Published in Diagnostics

ISSN: 2075-4418 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Medicine: Medicine (General)
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/diagnostics

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