Research Article: Neuroanatomical correlates of psychiatric manifestations in Wilson disease: the role of age
Abstract:
To investigate gray matter volume (GMV) differences related to psychiatric manifestations in patients with Wilson disease (WD) and to examine the effect of age.
In 102 patients with WD, 3.0T T1-weighted MRI scans were analyzed using voxel-based morphometry. Patients were divided into younger (?30 years) and older (>30 years) groups and were further grouped according to psychiatric manifestations. Patients with a UWDRS psychiatric subscale (UWDRS-PSY) score of 0 were classified as having no psychiatric manifestations, and those with a score >0 were classified as having psychiatric manifestations. Two-way ANCOVA was performed with total intracranial volume, sex, and education as covariates. Cluster-level family-wise error (FWE) correction was applied. Mean GMV values were extracted from significant caudate clusters and correlated with UWDRS-PSY scores as exploratory analyses.
Significant interactions between age group and psychiatric manifestations were found in the left insula/Rolandic operculum and right inferior temporal gyrus. Lower GMV in these regions was mainly found in younger patients with psychiatric manifestations. A main effect of psychiatric manifestations was found in the bilateral caudate nuclei, with lower GMV in patients with psychiatric manifestations. Lower caudate GMV was also associated with higher UWDRS-PSY scores.
Psychiatric manifestations in WD are associated with distinct gray matter patterns that vary with age, while bilateral caudate involvement may represent a more consistent structural correlate. These findings highlight the potential importance of considering age when examining the neuroanatomical correlates of psychiatric manifestations in WD.
Introduction:
Wilson disease (WD) is an autosomal recessive disorder of copper metabolism characterized by progressive multisystem involvement, most commonly affecting the central nervous system and liver ( 1 ). Although neurological symptoms (primarily extrapyramidal symptoms) have been extensively documented, psychiatric manifestations are frequently underestimated. A growing body of research indicates that psychiatric comorbidities in WD exert varying degrees of impact on social functioning and health-related quality of…
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