The results of repeated examinations at defined intervals with the aid of a magnetic resonance tomograph showed that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a multisystem disease with a complex timing, in which the central brain structure for memory formation - the hippocampus - is also affected. Compared to healthy control subjects, patients showed significant changes in brain structure in different functional systems of the cerebral cortex and the midbrain.
The scientists led by Prof. Dr. Mircea Ariel Schoenfeld gained insights into the temporal dynamics of brain changes that occur during the progress of the disease within only 3 months.
The scientists have published their observations in the journal "NeuroImage: Clinical".
Publication:
Stubble CM, Much Haber S, Eckart C, Machts J, Kaufmann J, Heinze HJ, Kollewe K, Petri S, Dengler R, Hopf JM, Schoenfeld MA. Structural and functional hallmarks of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis progression in motor-and memory-related brain regions. NeuroImage: Clinical. Vol. 5 (2014), pp. 277-290. DOI: 10.1016 / j.nicl.2014.07.007
Source (press release in German):
http://www.innovations-report.de/html/
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Tuesday, 12 August 2014 19:17
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Patient examination delivers new insights Featured
A team of physicians and scientists from the University Department of Neurology in Magdeburg, the Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology in Magdeburg, the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Magdeburg and the Clinic for Neurology at Hannover Medical School have gained insights important for understanding the disease. They studied two groups of ALS patients using structural MRI techniques.
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