Volume of the amygdala is reduced in patients with narcolepsy - a structural MRI study
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Volume of the amygdala is reduced in patients with narcolepsy - a structural MRI study. / Brabec, Jiri; Rulseh, Aaron; Horinek, Daniel; Pala, Andrej; Guerreiro, Helena; Buskova, Jitka; Petrovicky, Pavel; Nemcova, Veronika; Krasensky, Jan; Seidl, Zdenek; Nimsky, Christopher; Sonka, Karel.
In: NEUROENDOCRINOL LETT, Vol. 32, No. 5, 2011, p. 652-6.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Volume of the amygdala is reduced in patients with narcolepsy - a structural MRI study
AU - Brabec, Jiri
AU - Rulseh, Aaron
AU - Horinek, Daniel
AU - Pala, Andrej
AU - Guerreiro, Helena
AU - Buskova, Jitka
AU - Petrovicky, Pavel
AU - Nemcova, Veronika
AU - Krasensky, Jan
AU - Seidl, Zdenek
AU - Nimsky, Christopher
AU - Sonka, Karel
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - OBJECTIVE: Based on the clinical observation that patients suffering from narcolepsy with cataplexy (NC) have cataplectic attacks when they experience positive emotions, it is therefore hypothesised that the abnormal processing of external emotional input through the limbic system, or motor dysregulation induced by emotions, takes place during these episodes. To date, imaging studies have failed to reveal consistent brain abnormalities in NC patients.METHODS: Considering the discrepancies in reported structural or functional abnormalities of the hypothalamus, amygdala, and nucleus accumbens, we used the MRI volumetry to determine the volumes of the amygdala and nucleus accumbens in a group of eleven patients with NC (5 males and 6 females, mean age 41.7 years ± 17.7). This data was compared to an equal number of examinations in healthy volunteers matched for age and gender.RESULTS: We found a decrease in the amygdalar volume of NC patients in both raw (p<0.001) and relative (p<0.01) data sets. The difference in amygdalar volume between healthy volunteers and NC patients was about 17%. In contrast to the amygdala, we did not find any differences in the volumes of nucleus accumbens.CONCLUSION: In the present MRI volumetric study, we found bilateral gray matter loss in the amygdala only.
AB - OBJECTIVE: Based on the clinical observation that patients suffering from narcolepsy with cataplexy (NC) have cataplectic attacks when they experience positive emotions, it is therefore hypothesised that the abnormal processing of external emotional input through the limbic system, or motor dysregulation induced by emotions, takes place during these episodes. To date, imaging studies have failed to reveal consistent brain abnormalities in NC patients.METHODS: Considering the discrepancies in reported structural or functional abnormalities of the hypothalamus, amygdala, and nucleus accumbens, we used the MRI volumetry to determine the volumes of the amygdala and nucleus accumbens in a group of eleven patients with NC (5 males and 6 females, mean age 41.7 years ± 17.7). This data was compared to an equal number of examinations in healthy volunteers matched for age and gender.RESULTS: We found a decrease in the amygdalar volume of NC patients in both raw (p<0.001) and relative (p<0.01) data sets. The difference in amygdalar volume between healthy volunteers and NC patients was about 17%. In contrast to the amygdala, we did not find any differences in the volumes of nucleus accumbens.CONCLUSION: In the present MRI volumetric study, we found bilateral gray matter loss in the amygdala only.
KW - Adult
KW - Amygdala/pathology
KW - Female
KW - Humans
KW - Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods
KW - Male
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Narcolepsy/pathology
KW - Nucleus Accumbens/anatomy & histology
KW - Reproducibility of Results
KW - Young Adult
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
C2 - 22167152
VL - 32
SP - 652
EP - 656
JO - NEUROENDOCRINOL LETT
JF - NEUROENDOCRINOL LETT
SN - 0172-780X
IS - 5
ER -