Diffusion tensor imaging study in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Background: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive muscle disorder associated with an intellectual deficit which is non-progressive. The aim of this study was to investigate brain microstructural changes in DMD and to explore the relationship between such changes and cognitive impairment.

Methods: All participants (12 DMD patients, 14 age-matched healthy boys), intelligence quotients (IQs) [both full (FIQ) and verbal (VIQ)] were evaluated using the Wechsler intelligence scale for children China revised (WISC-CR) edition, and brain gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) changes were mapped using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) with fractional anisotropy (FA). The differences between groups were analyzed using the t-test and the association of cognition with neuroimaging parameters was evaluated using Pearson's correlation coefficient.

Results: Compared to the normal controls, the DMD group had lower FIQ (82.0±15.39 vs. 120.21±16.06) and significantly lower splenium of corpus callosum (CC) FA values (P<0.05). Splenium of CC FA was positively correlated with VIQ (r=0.588, P=0.044).

Conclusions: There were microstructural changes of splenium of CC in DMD patients, which was associated with cognitive impairment.