• Loukia C Tzarouchi, Loukas G Astrakas, Spyridon Konitsiotis, Sofia Tsouli, Persefoni Margariti, Anastasia Zikou, and Maria I Argyropoulou.
• Department of Radiology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
• J Neuroimaging. 2010 Jul 1; 20 (3): 260-6.

Background And PurposeMultiple system atrophy (MSA) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder divided into a parkinsonian (MSA-P) and a cerebellar variant. The purpose of this study was to assess regional brain atrophy and iron content using Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and Voxel-based relaxometry (VBR) respectively, in MSA-P.MethodsUsing biological parametric mapping the effect of brain atrophy was evaluated in T2 relaxation time (T2) measurements by applying analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and correlation analysis to the VBM and VBR data. Eleven patients with MSA-P (aged 61.9 +/- 11.7 years, disease duration 5.42 +/- 2.5 years) and 11 controls were studied.ResultsIn comparison to the controls the patients showed decreased gray matter in the putamen, the caudate nuclei, the thalami, the anterior cerebellar lobes, and the cerebral cortex, and white matter atrophy in the pons, midbrain, and peduncles. VBR analysis showed prolonged T2 in various cortical regions. On ANCOVA, when controlling for gray and white matter volume, these regions of prolonged T2 were shrunk. Negative correlation was demonstrated between T2 and gray and white matter volume.ConclusionsDiffuse brain atrophy, mainly in the motor circuitry is observed in MSA-P. Normalization for atrophy should always be performed in T2 measurements.

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