The cerebellum
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Characterization of Cerebellar Atrophy and Resting State Functional Connectivity Patterns in Sporadic Adult-Onset Ataxia of Unknown Etiology (SAOA).
Sporadic adult-onset ataxia of unknown etiology (SAOA) is a non-genetic neurodegenerative disorder of the cerebellum of unknown cause which manifests with progressive ataxia without severe autonomic failure. Although SAOA is associated with cerebellar degeneration, little is known about the specific cerebellar atrophy pattern in SAOA. Thirty-seven SAOA patients and 49 healthy controls (HCs) were included at two centers. ⋯ Our data revealed volume reduction in SAOA in cerebellar regions that are known to be involved in motor and somatosensory processing, corresponding with the clinical phenotype of SAOA. Our data suggest that the atrophy occurs in those cerebellar regions which are characterized by high ALFF and poor DC. Further studies have to show if these findings are specific for SAOA, and if they can be used to predict disease progression.