Korean J Radiol.  2021 Jul;22(7):1142-1151. 10.3348/kjr.2020.0178.

Characterization of Brain Microstructural Abnormalities in High Myopia Patients: A Preliminary Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging Study

• Wang H
• Wen H
• Li J
• Chen Q
• Li S
• Wang Y
• Wang Z

• KMID: 2518650
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/kjr.2020.0178

Abstract

Objective
To evaluate microstructural damage in high myopia (HM) patients using 3T diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI).
Materials and Methods
This prospective study included 30 HM patients and 33 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) with DKI. Kurtosis parameters including kurtosis fractional anisotropy (FA), mean kurtosis (MK), axial kurtosis (AK), and radial kurtosis (RK) as well as diffusion metrics including FA, mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity derived from DKI were obtained. Group differences in these metrics were compared using tract-based spatial statistics. Partial correlation analysis was used to evaluate correlations between microstructural changes and disease duration.
Results
Compared to HCs, HM patients showed significantly reduced AK, RK, MK, and FA and significantly increased AD, predominately in the bilateral corticospinal tract, right inferior longitudinal fasciculus, superior longitudinal fasciculus, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, and left thalamus (all p < 0.05, threshold-free cluster enhancement corrected). In addition, DKI-derived kurtosis parameters (AK, RK, and MK) had negative correlations (r = -0.448 to -0.376, all p < 0.05) and diffusion parameter (AD) had positive correlations (r = 0.372 to 0.409, all p < 0.05) with disease duration.
Conclusion
HM patients showed microstructural alterations in the brain regions responsible for motor conduction and visionrelated functions. DKI is useful for detecting white matter abnormalities in HM patients, which might be helpful for exploring and monitoring the pathogenesis of the disease.

Keyword

High myopia; Diffusional kurtosis imaging; Brain; White matter