Altered callosal function in cerebral microangiopathy

• Published in: Journal of neurology Vol. 257; no. 4; pp. 590 - 597
• Main Authors: Wittstock, Matthias, Grossmann, Annette, Kunesch, Erwin, Walter, Uwe, Benecke, Reiner, Wolters, Alexander
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.04.2010; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Analysis of Variance; Atrophy; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Diseases - pathology; Brain Diseases - physiopathology; Brain Mapping; Corpus Callosum - pathology; Corpus Callosum - physiopathology; Electromyography - methods; Evoked Potentials, Motor - physiology; Female; Gait; Humans; Investigations; Ischemia; Magnetic resonance imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Nerve Fibers, Myelinated - pathology; Neural Pathways - pathology; Neural Pathways - physiopathology; Neurology; Neuroradiology; Neurosciences; Original Communication; Pathology; Stroke - complications; Transcranial magnetic stimulation; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation - methods; Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system; United Kingdom > UK; Germany; Ipsilateral silent period; Cerebral microangiopathy; Transcranial magnetic stimulation; Magnetic resonance imaging; Corpus callosum; Nervous system diseases; Central nervous system; Cardiovascular disease; Silent period; Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; Encephalon; Vascular disease; Microangiopathy
• ISSN: 0340-5354; 1432-1459; 1432-1459
• DOI: 10.1007/s00415-009-5379-9

Callosal dysfunction is known to be evident in a variety of neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system. Cerebral microangiopathy (CMA) may also affect callosal pathways by chronic demyelination. The aim of the present study was to investigate callosal function with respect to the extent of CMA. Callosal function was tested by a bimanual tapping task and by analysis of the ipsilateral silent period (iSP) and the transcallosal conduction time (TCT) using transcranial magnetic stimulation. Results were correlated to the extent of CMA measured by cranial magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) in 44 patients with CMA compared to 10 control subjects. The extent of CMA was quantified by a cMRI score. Additionally, callosal atrophy was quantified by cMRI morphometry. Frequency of pathological iSP findings or disturbed bimanual tapping was significantly correlated to a higher CMA score. Moreover, the extent of CMA was significantly correlated to the degree of callosal atrophy. It is concluded that CMA considerably affects callosal pathways, possibly by chronic demyelination of callosal fibres. As the extent of CMA and atrophy of the corpus callosum is correlated to callosal dysfunction, analysis of the iSP can be used to assess the clinical impact of CMA detected by cMRI.