RESEARCH: PLS and diffusion tensor MRI imaging

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Diffusion tensor imaging in the diagnosis of primary

lateral sclerosis.

Ulug AM, Grunewald T, Lin MT, Kamal AK, Filippi CG,

Zimmerman RD, Beal MF.

Department of Radiology, Weill Medical College of

Cornell University, New York, New York.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the utility of MR diffusion

tensor imaging in diagnosing primary lateral sclerosis

(PLS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five patients who met

clinical criteria for a diagnosis of PLS, and two

patients with possible PLS of less than three years

duration and eight normal volunteers were studied

using MR diffusion tensor imaging. RESULTS: All seven

patients showed decreased diffusion anisotropy and

increased diffusion constant in the PLIC, with

complete separation from a normal control group,

including patients early in the course of the illness.

CONCLUSION: Quantitative diffusion tensor imaging

appears to be a useful test to detect upper motor

neuron damage and hence to help to establish the

diagnosis of PLS. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging

2004;19:34-39. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

SOURCE: J Magn Reson Imaging. 2004 Jan;19(1):34-9.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=1\

4696218 & dopt=Abstract