Disruption of Thalamocortical Connectivity in Spastic Cerebral Palsy: A Probabilistic Tractography Study

Authors

  • Siti Fatimah Mukhtar Department of Anatomy, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1469-4667
  • Asma Hayati Ahmad Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5447-0356
  • Anna Alicia Simok Department of Anatomy, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia
  • Jafri Malin Abdullah Brain and Behaviour Cluster, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia and Department of Neurosciences, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0258-7410
  • Aimi Nadhiah Abdullah Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia
  • Siti Hajar Zabri Department of Neurosciences, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia
  • Wan Sarah Wan Ahmad Kamil Department of Neurosciences, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia
  • Najib Majdi Yaacob Department of Biostatistics and Research Methodology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6860-1430
  • Nur Asma Sapiai Brain and Behaviour Cluster, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia and Department of Radiology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7955-9768
  • Zul Izhar Mohd Ismail Department of Anatomy, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3732-8240

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6000/2292-2598.2022.10.06.6

Keywords:

Probabilistic tractography, spastic cerebral palsy, thalamocortical tract

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the probabilistic connectivity between the thalamus and motor areas of the cerebral cortex in spastic cerebral palsy (SCP). We explored the integrity of motor tracts between
the thalamus and cerebral cortex by quantifying the thalamic probabilistic connectivity with motor cortices
(namely primary motor cortex, supplementary motor area, and premotor cortex) in SCP using diffusion MRI. The
current study also parcellated the thalamus according to its connectivity to the three motor cortices in healthy control and SCP.

Methods: Probabilistic tractography was performed on secondary diffusion MRI data of eight SCP patients (mean age 11.9 years old) and ten healthy controls. The connection probability index, an indirect indicator of white matter integrity, was measured between the thalamus to three areas of the motor cortex; primary motor, premotor and supplementary motor. The thalamus was further parcellated according to its connection probability with the motor cortices.

Results: The pattern of thalamocortical connectivity in cerebral palsy was found to be varied and mainly complied with the patient's clinical presentation. In comparison with controls, the SCP patients showed either lower or higher connection probabilities to the motor cortices. A striking feature of thalamic parcellation in SCP was the presence of a cluster with a positive connection to the supplementary motor area.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the thalamocortical connectivity in SCP was different from healthy individuals and largely follows the clinical manifestation. There was also evidence of neuroplasticity serving as a compensatory mechanism for the motor deficit in patients with SCP.

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Published

2022-12-15

How to Cite

Mukhtar, S. F. ., Ahmad, A. H. ., Simok, A. A. ., Abdullah, J. M. ., Abdullah, A. N. ., Zabri, S. H. ., Ahmad Kamil, W. S. W. ., Yaacob, N. M. ., Sapiai, N. A. ., & Mohd Ismail, Z. I. . (2022). Disruption of Thalamocortical Connectivity in Spastic Cerebral Palsy: A Probabilistic Tractography Study. Journal of Intellectual Disability - Diagnosis and Treatment, 10(6), 322–333. https://doi.org/10.6000/2292-2598.2022.10.06.6

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 6 (2022)

Section

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