Bicaudate diameter?the most specific and simple CT parameter in the diagnosis of Huntington's disease

Abstract

In addition to the neurological findings, the functional capacity of 12 patients with Huntington's disease was evaluated quantitatively according to the Shoulson and Fahn scale [1]. This parameter was related to the following computed tomographic measurements: the greatest distance between the frontal horns (FH), the shortest distance between the heads of the caudate nuclei (bicaudate diameter, CC) and the quotient FH/CC. The ratio of the bicaudate diameter and the external diameter of the skull across the narrowest point of the heads of the caudate nuclei (CC/OTcc) was also used as well as the bicaudate diameter and the maximum internal diameter of the skull (CC/ITmax). The best correlation was found between the bicaudate diameter and functional capacity (r = -0.64, P less than 0.05). All the quotients containing the bicaudate diameter likewise showed a correlation with functional capacity, though to a less marked degree. Thus the bicaudate diameter appears to be the most specific and simple computed tomographic parameter for the differentiation of Huntington's disease from normal states or choreatic syndromes of different origin.

A comparison of neurological, metabolic, structural, and genetic evaluations in persons at risk for Huntington's disease

“…Cutoff values to segregate persons into normal or abnormal categories were calculated. These values were defined as the mean plus or minus two standard deviations, based on previously reported results in normal controls [5,18,23,241. For FWCC a value less than or equal to 2, and for CCiOTcc a value greater than or equal to 0.1 were considered abnormal.…”

“…who had rated every participant were used for consistency. Combined scores were defined as follows: ported measures of caudate atrophy have correlated however, they have not been associated with the severity of specific neurological findings such as chorea or dystonia in affected individuals [15][16][17][18] Follow-up neurological examinations performed 2 to 6 years after the above examination, and without CT or PET data, were available in 39 of the 54 participants. From these follow-up visits, at-risk individuals who had developed definite chorea were identified and classified as subsequent phenotypical converters.…”

“…Images were obtained in a plane parallel to PET images, along the canthomeatal line. Two ratios of linear measurements previously found to be useful in the radiological investigation of Huntington's disease were calculated {5, 8,18,23,241. The first was the ratio (FHICC) of the greatest distance between the frontal horns (FH) and the shortest distance between the medial surfaces of the caudate nuclei (bicaudate diameter, CC).…”

Animal models of Huntington's disease: implications in uncovering pathogenic mechanisms and developing therapies

“…Initially, systemically 3-NP-treated animals exhibited significant hyperactivity during the first 2 injections, reaching a plateau after the third injection, and then displaying hypoactivity after the fourth injection [52] . The study by Mettler indicates that small lesions are visible at the onset of hypoactivity, but at the end of the long-term course of 3-NP administration, larger lesions were noted; there is no visible striatal degeneration at the period of hyperactivity [53][54][55] . Despite chronic 3-NP rat models replicating some of the features of HD, this model still has some limitations.…”

Cella Media Distance in Human Brain in Relation to Age and Gender

“…It has already been shown that computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to measure brain atrophy that is an important anatomical change in the course of several diseases [1][2][3][4] , as well as in normal aging [5][6][7] . Simple linear measurements taken on axial CT slices were used from the advent of imaging technologies; however, different authors have used different exclusion criteria for sample material and for image analysis as well 8 .…”