Dentatorubrothalamic tract reduction using fixel-based analysis in corticobasal syndrome

Purpose The word “fixel” refers to the specific fiber population within each voxel, and fixel-based analysis (FBA) is a recently developed technique that facilitates fiber tract-specific statistical analysis. The aim of the paper is to apply FBA to detect impaired fibers for corticobasal syndrome (CBS) especially in regions that contain multiple crossed fibers. Methods FBA was performed in cohorts of participants clinically diagnosed with CBS ( n = 10) and Parkinson’s disease ( n = 15) or in healthy controls ( n = 9). The parameters of the diffusion weighted image were echo time, 83 ms; time, 8123.6 ms; flip angle, 90°; section thickness, 2 mm; b = 1000 s/mm 2 ; and 32 axes. Diffusion tensor analysis was conducted using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS), and white matter volume was estimated via voxel-based morphometry. Results A comparison of PD or HC to CBS revealed a significant difference in the dentatorubrothalamic tract of the brainstem in FBA in addition to the affected regions in voxel-based morphometry and TBSS (family-wise error-corrected p < 0.05). Reduction of the white matter fibers crossing the brainstem could not be detected via microstructural changes identified using TBSS, but it was detected using FBA. Conclusion FBA has some advantages in determining the distribution of corticobasal syndrome lesions.