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Watanabe M, Shrivastava RK, Balchandani P. Advanced neuroimaging of the trigeminal nerve and the whole brain in trigeminal neuralgia: a systematic review. Pain 2024:00006396-990000000-00680. [PMID: 39132931 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT For trigeminal neuralgia (TN), a major role of imaging is to identify the causes, but recent studies demonstrated structural and microstructural changes in the affected nerve. Moreover, an increasing number of studies have reported central nervous system involvement in TN. In this systematic review, recent quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of the trigeminal nerve and the brain in patients with TN were compiled, organized, and discussed, particularly emphasizing the possible background mechanisms and the interpretation of the results. A systematic search of quantitative MRI studies of the trigeminal nerve and the brain in patients with TN was conducted using PubMed. We included the studies of the primary TN published during 2013 to 2023, conducted for the assessment of the structural and microstructural analysis of the trigeminal nerve, and the structural, diffusion, and functional MRI analysis of the brain. Quantitative MRI studies of the affected trigeminal nerves and the trigeminal pathway demonstrated structural/microstructural alterations and treatment-related changes, which differentiated responders from nonresponders. Quantitative analysis of the brain revealed changes in the brain areas associated with pain processing/modulation and emotional networks. Studies of the affected nerve demonstrated evidence of demyelination and axonal damage, compatible with pathological findings, and have shown its potential value as a tool to assess treatment outcomes. Quantitative MRI has also revealed the possibility of dynamic microstructural, structural, and functional neuronal plasticity of the brain. Further studies are needed to understand these complex mechanisms of neuronal plasticity and to achieve a consensus on the clinical use of quantitative MRI in TN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Memi Watanabe
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Raj K Shrivastava
- Department of Neurosurgery, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Priti Balchandani
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
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Bayda L, Weinstein M, Mirson A, Getter N, Zer-Zion M, Sepkuty J, Levy M. Multi-metric predictors of radiofrequency-treated trigeminal neuralgias. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcae216. [PMID: 39007040 PMCID: PMC11245711 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Evaluation of neurovascular compression-related trigeminal neuralgia (NVC-TN) and its resolution through microvascular decompression are demonstrable by MRI and intraoperatively [Leal et al. (Atrophic changes in the trigeminal nerves of patients with trigeminal neuralgia due to neurovascular compression and their association with the severity of compression and clinical outcomes: Clinical article. J Neurosurg. 2014;120(6):1484-1495)]. Non-NVC-TNs treated by radiofrequency (RF) lack such detectable features. Multimodal integration of pre-surgical diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and volumetry (VOL) with intraoperative neurophysiology (ION) could improve understanding and performance of RF among non-NVC-TN. We hypothesized that DTI disturbances' localization (central relay versus peripherally) rather than their values bares the most significant predictive value upon outcome and that ION could quantitatively both localize and assist RF of affected branches. The first pre-surgical step evaluated the differences between affected and non-affected sides (by DTI and VOL). Four TN's segments were studied, from peripheral to central relay: Meckel's cave-trigeminal ganglion (MC-TGN), cisternal portion, root entry zone (REZ) and spinal tract [Lin et al. (Flatness of the Meckel cave may cause primary trigeminal neuralgia: A radiomics-based study. J Headache Pain. 2021;22(1):104)]. In the second intraoperative step, we used both ION and patient's testimonies to confirm the localization of the affected branch, evolving hypoesthesia, pain reduction and monitoring of adverse effects [Sindou (Neurophysiological navigation in the trigeminal nerve: Use of masticatory responses and facial motor responses evoked by electrical stimulation of the trigeminal rootlets for RF-thermorhizotomy guidance. Stereotact Funct Neurosurg. 1999;73(1-4):117-121); Sindou and Tatli (Traitement de la névralgie trigéminale par thermorhizotomie. Neurochirurgie. 2009;55(2):203-210)]. Last and postoperatively, each data set's features and correlation with short-term (3 months) and long-term outcomes (23.5 ± 6.7 months) were independently analysed and blind to each other. Finally, we designed a multimodal predictive model. Sixteen non-NVC-TN patients (mean 53.6 ± SD years old) with mean duration of 6.56 ± 4.1 years (75% right TN; 43.8% V3) were included. After 23.5 ± 6.7 months, 14/16 were good responders. Age, gender, TN duration and side/branch did not correlate with outcomes. Affected sides showed significant DTI disturbances in both peripheral (MC-TGNs) and central-relay (REZ) segments. However, worse outcome correlated only with REZ-located DTI disturbances (P = 0.04; r = 0.53). Concerning volumetry, affected MC-TGNs were abnormally flatter: lower volumes and surface area correlated with worse outcomes (both P = 0.033; r = 0.55 and 0.77, respectively). Intraoperatively, ION could not differ the affected from non-affected branch. However, the magnitude of ION's amplitude reduction (ION-Δ-Amplitude) had the most significant correlation with outcomes (r = 0.86; P < 0.00006). It was higher among responders [68.4% (50-82%)], and a <40% reduction characterized non-responders [36.7% (0-40%)]. Multiple regression showed that ION-Δ-Amplitude, centrally located only REZ DTI integrity and MC-TGN flatness explain 82.2% of the variance of post-RF visual analogue score. Integration of pre-surgical DTI-VOL with ION-Δ-Amplitude suggests a multi-metric predictive model of post-RF outcome in non-NVC-TN. In multiple regression, central-relay REZ DTI disturbances and insufficiently reduced excitability (<40%) predicted worse outcome. Quantitative fine-tuned ION tools should be sought for peri-operative evaluation of the affected branches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liron Bayda
- Assuta Medical Centre, Imaging Unit, 6971028 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Maya Weinstein
- Assuta Medical Centre, Functional Neurosurgery Unit, 6971028 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Alexei Mirson
- Assuta Medical Centre, Functional Neurosurgery Unit, 6971028 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Nir Getter
- Assuta Medical Centre, Functional Neurosurgery Unit, 6971028 Tel Aviv, Israel
- Department of Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 8410501 Be’er Sheva, Israel
- Department of Psychology and Education, The Open University of Israel, 4353701 Ra’anana, Israel
| | - Moshe Zer-Zion
- Assuta Medical Centre, Pain and Anaesthesia Unit, 6971028 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Jehuda Sepkuty
- Assuta Medical Centre, Functional Neurosurgery Unit, 6971028 Tel Aviv, Israel
- Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218-2683, USA
| | - Mikael Levy
- Assuta Medical Centre, Functional Neurosurgery Unit, 6971028 Tel Aviv, Israel
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Su X, Wang Z, Wang Z, Cheng M, Du C, Tian Y. A novel indicator to predict the outcome of percutaneous stereotactic radiofrequency rhizotomy for trigeminal neuralgia patients: diffusivity metrics of MR-DTI. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9235. [PMID: 38649718 PMCID: PMC11035693 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59828-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Magnetic resonance-diffusion tensor imaging (MR-DTI) has been used in the microvascular decompression and gamma knife radiosurgery in trigeminal neuralgia (TN) patients; however, use of percutaneous stereotactic radiofrequency rhizotomy (PSR) to target an abnormal trigeminal ganglion (ab-TG) is unreported. Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean and radial diffusivity (MD and RD, respectively), and axial diffusivity (AD) of the trigeminal nerve (CNV) were measured in 20 TN patients and 40 healthy control participants immediately post PSR, at 6-months, and at 1 year. Longitudinal alteration of the diffusivity metrics and any correlation with treatment effects, or prognoses, were analyzed. In the TN group, either low FA (value < 0.30) or a decreased range compared to the adjacent FA (dFA) > 17% defined an ab-TG. Two-to-three days post PSR, all 15 patients reported decreased pain scores with increased FA at the ab-TG (P < 0.001), but decreased MD and RD (P < 0.01 each). Treatment remained effective in 10 of 14 patients (71.4%) and 8 of 12 patients (66.7%) at the 6-month and 1-year follow-ups, respectively. In patients with ab-TGs, there was a significant difference in treatment outcomes between patients with low FA values (9 of 10; 90%) and patients with dFA (2 of 5; 40%) (P < 0.05). MR-DTI with diffusivity metrics correlated microstructural CNV abnormalities with PSR outcomes. Of all the diffusivity metrics, FA could be considered a novel objective quantitative indicator of treatment effects and a potential indicator of PSR effectiveness in TN patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Su
- Departments of Neurosurgery, The Third Hospital of Jilin University and China-Japan Union Hospital, 126 Xiantai Street, Changchun, 130033, Jilin, People's Republic of China
- Departments of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400037, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhengming Wang
- Departments of Trauma Center, The Third Hospital of Jilin University and China‑Japan Union Hospital, Changchun, 130033, Jilin, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhijia Wang
- Departments of Radiation, The Third Hospital of Jilin University and China‑Japan Union Hospital, Changchun, 130033, Jilin, People's Republic of China
| | - Min Cheng
- Departments of Radiation, The Third Hospital of Jilin University and China‑Japan Union Hospital, Changchun, 130033, Jilin, People's Republic of China
| | - Chao Du
- Departments of Neurosurgery, The Third Hospital of Jilin University and China-Japan Union Hospital, 126 Xiantai Street, Changchun, 130033, Jilin, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yu Tian
- Departments of Neurosurgery, The Third Hospital of Jilin University and China-Japan Union Hospital, 126 Xiantai Street, Changchun, 130033, Jilin, People's Republic of China.
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Malicki M, Szmyd BM, Bobeff EJ, Karuga FF, Piotrowski MM, Kościołek D, Wanibuchi S, Radek M, Jaskólski DJ. The Superior Cerebellar Artery: Variability and Clinical Significance. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2009. [PMID: 37509648 PMCID: PMC10376954 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11072009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The superior cerebellar artery (SCA) arises from the distal part of the basilar artery and passes by the oculomotor, trochlear, and trigeminal nerves. SCA is known to play a crucial role in the development of trigeminal neuralgia. However, due to its anatomical variability, it may also trigger other neurovascular compression (NVC), including hemifacial spasm, oculomotor nerve palsy, and ocular neuromyotonia. Additionally, it may be associated with ischemic syndromes and aneurysm development, highlighting its clinical significance. The most common anatomical variations of the SCA include duplication, a single vessel origin from the posterior cerebral artery (PCA), and a common trunk with PCA. Rarely observed variants include bifurcation and origin from the internal carotid artery. Certain anatomical variants such as early bifurcation and caudal course of duplicated SCA trunk may increase the risk of NVC. In this narrative review, we aimed to examine the impact of the anatomical variations of SCA on the NVCs based on papers published in Pubmed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases with a snowballing approach. Our review emphasizes the importance of a thorough understanding of the anatomical variability of SCA to optimize the management of patients with NVCs associated with this artery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikołaj Malicki
- Department of Neurosurgery, Spine and Peripheral Nerves Surgery, Medical University of Lodz, Zeromskiego St. 113, 90-549 Lodz, Poland; (M.M.); (M.R.)
| | - Bartosz M. Szmyd
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neuro-Oncology, Medical University of Lodz, Barlicki University Hospital, Kopcinskiego St. 22, 90-153 Lodz, Poland; (B.M.S.); (M.M.P.); (D.J.J.)
- Department of Pediatrics, Oncology and Hematology, Medical University of Lodz, Sporna St. 36/50, 91-738 Lodz, Poland
| | - Ernest J. Bobeff
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neuro-Oncology, Medical University of Lodz, Barlicki University Hospital, Kopcinskiego St. 22, 90-153 Lodz, Poland; (B.M.S.); (M.M.P.); (D.J.J.)
- Department of Sleep Medicine and Metabolic Disorders, Medical University of Lodz, Mazowieka St. 6/8, 92-251 Lodz, Poland;
| | - Filip F. Karuga
- Department of Sleep Medicine and Metabolic Disorders, Medical University of Lodz, Mazowieka St. 6/8, 92-251 Lodz, Poland;
| | - Michał M. Piotrowski
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neuro-Oncology, Medical University of Lodz, Barlicki University Hospital, Kopcinskiego St. 22, 90-153 Lodz, Poland; (B.M.S.); (M.M.P.); (D.J.J.)
| | - Dawid Kościołek
- Central Teaching Hospital, Medical University of Lodz, Pomorska St. 251, 92-208 Lodz, Poland;
| | - Sora Wanibuchi
- The Faculty of Medicine, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute 480-1195, Japan;
| | - Maciej Radek
- Department of Neurosurgery, Spine and Peripheral Nerves Surgery, Medical University of Lodz, Zeromskiego St. 113, 90-549 Lodz, Poland; (M.M.); (M.R.)
| | - Dariusz J. Jaskólski
- Department of Neurosurgery and Neuro-Oncology, Medical University of Lodz, Barlicki University Hospital, Kopcinskiego St. 22, 90-153 Lodz, Poland; (B.M.S.); (M.M.P.); (D.J.J.)
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Effects of the MR-DTI Characteristics of the Trigeminal Ganglion Target on Radiofrequency Treatment in Patients with Trigeminal Neuralgia: A Retrospective Observational Clinical Study. Pain Res Manag 2023. [DOI: 10.1155/2023/1988926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Background. In the percutaneous treatment of trigeminal neuralgia (TN), the difficulty in accessing the foramen ovale (FO) has been widely recognized. However, the most efficient percutaneous treatment target is the so-called trigeminal ganglion target (TGT). We propose that the TGT in a puncture can be identified by magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (MR-DTI). Objectives. To observe the effect of the characteristics of the TGT as detected by MR-DTI on percutaneous stereotactic radiofrequency rhizotomy (PSR) in TN patients. Methods. In our observational study, we preoperatively performed MR-DTI and/or 3D-CT for 48 TN patients, analyzed the characteristics of the TGT and/or FO, and designed appropriate surgical schemes for producing an accurate PSR trajectory according to these characteristics. The position and size of the TGT aided in adjusting the puncture angle and guiding the approach. Then, we successfully performed a customized PSR guided by the characteristics of the FO or TGT. During the postoperative and follow-up periods, we assessed the effect of treatment with pain scores and MR-DTI findings. Results. The characteristics of the TGT vary from patient to patient. We performed PSR with a single puncture guided by MR-DTI and 3D-CT in 16 patients, and only one patient required three punctures. All three of these punctures reached the FO target, as confirmed by intraoperative C-arm X-ray. We finally reached the TGT successfully after 2 additional attempts, confirming that the probe reached the TGT that accurately covered the pain territory with an electrophysiology test. The characteristics of the TGT were negatively correlated with the number of PSR punctures. Fewer complications occurred for PSRs guided by the TGT than for PSRs guided by the FO. Conclusions. The characteristics of the TGT are correlated with the number of punctures in the PSR. The application of MR-DTI for detecting the size of the TGT is an important step in predicting the difficulty of puncture. The PSR approach can be guided by the TGT and FO for TN patients who present with multiple adverse factors and thus may be beneficial in reducing the number of complications.
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Luo SP, Chen FF, Zhang HW, Lin F, Huang GD, Lei Y. Trigeminal Nerve White Matter Fiber Abnormalities in Primary Trigeminal Neuralgia: A Diffusion Spectrum Imaging Study. Front Neurol 2022; 12:798969. [PMID: 35126296 PMCID: PMC8810829 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.798969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Diffusion spectrum imaging (DSI) was used to quantitatively study the changes in the trigeminal cistern segment in patients with trigeminal neuralgia (TN) and to further explore the value of acquiring DSI data from patients with TN. METHODS To achieve high-resolution fiber tracking, 60 patients with TN and 35 healthy controls (HCs) were scanned with conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and DSI. The patients and the members of the control group were compared within and between groups. The correlations between quantitative parameters of DSI and the visual analog scale (VAS), and symptom duration and responsible vessel types were analyzed. RESULTS Compared with unaffected side of patients in the TN group, the affected side showed significantly decreased quantitative anisotropy (QA) (p < 0.001), fractional anisotropy (FA) (p = 0.001), and general FA (GFA) (p < 0.001). The unaffected side exhibited significantly decreased QA (p + 0.001), FA (p = 0.001), and GFA (p < 0.001) and significantly increased axial diffusivity (AD) (p = 0.036) compared with the affected side of patients in the TN group and the average values of HCs. There were significantly decreased QA (p = 0.046) and FA (p = 0.008) between the unaffected side of patients and the average values of HCs. GFA can evidently distinguish arteries, veins, and features of unaffected side in TN patients. CONCLUSION Using high-resolution fiber tracking technology, DSI can provide quantitative information that can be used to detect the integrity of trigeminal white matter in patients with TN and can improve the understanding of the disease mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si-ping Luo
- College of Medicine, Shantou University, Shantou, China
- Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Fan-fan Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Han-wen Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Fan Lin
- Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guo-dong Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yi Lei
- Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
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Willsey MS, Mossner JM, Chestek CA, Sagher O, Patil PG. Classifier Using Pontine Radial Diffusivity and Symptom Duration Accurately Predicts Recurrence of Trigeminal Neuralgia After Microvascular Decompression: A Pilot Study and Algorithm Description. Neurosurgery 2021; 89:777-783. [PMID: 34383939 DOI: 10.1093/neuros/nyab292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preprocedure diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may predict the response of trigeminal neuralgia (TN) patients to Gamma Knife (Elekta AB) and microvascular decompression (MVD). OBJECTIVE To test this hypothesis using pontine-segment diffusion tensor MRI radial diffusivity (RD), a known biomarker for demyelination, to predict TN recurrence following MVD. METHODS RD from the pontine segment of the trigeminal tract was extracted in a semiautomated and blinded fashion and normalized to background pontine RD. Following validation against published results, the relationship of normalized RD to symptom duration (DS) was measured. Both parameters were then introduced into machine-learning classifiers to group patient outcomes as TN remission or recurrence. Performance was evaluated in an observational study with leave-one-out cross-validation to calculate accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS The study population included 22 patients with TN type 1 (TN1). There was a negative correlation of normalized RD and preoperative symptom duration (P = .035, R2 = .20). When pontine-segment RD and DS were included as input variables, 2 classifiers predicted pain-free remission versus eventual recurrence with 85% accuracy, 83% sensitivity, and 86% specificity (leave-one-out cross-validation; P = .029) in a cohort of 13 patients undergoing MVD. CONCLUSION Pontine-segment RD and DS accurately predict MVD outcomes in TN1 and provide further evidence that diffusion tensor MRI contains prognostic information. Use of a classifier may allow more accurate risk stratification for neurosurgeons and patients considering MVD as a treatment for TN1. These findings provide further insight into the relationship of pontine microstructure, represented by RD, and the pathophysiology of TN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S Willsey
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - James M Mossner
- School of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Cynthia A Chestek
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Robotics Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Oren Sagher
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Parag G Patil
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Danyluk H, Andrews J, Kesarwani R, Seres P, Broad R, Wheatley BM, Sankar T. The thalamus in trigeminal neuralgia: structural and metabolic abnormalities, and influence on surgical response. BMC Neurol 2021; 21:290. [PMID: 34303364 PMCID: PMC8305513 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-021-02323-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Medically-refractory trigeminal neuralgia (TN) can be treated successfully with operative intervention, but a significant proportion of patients are non-responders despite undergoing technically successful surgery. The thalamus is a key component of the trigeminal sensory pathway involved in transmitting facial pain, but the role of the thalamus in TN, and its influence on durability of pain relief after TN surgery, are relatively understudied. We aimed to test the hypothesis that variations in thalamic structure and metabolism are related to surgical non-response in TN. METHODS We performed a longitudinal, peri-operative neuroimaging study of the thalamus in medically-refractory TN patients undergoing microvascular decompression or percutaneous balloon compression rhizotomy. Patients underwent structural MRI and MR spectroscopy scans pre-operatively and at 1-week following surgery, and were classified as responders or non-responders based on 1-year post-operative pain outcome. Thalamus volume, shape, and metabolite concentration (choline/creatine [Cho/Cr] and N-acetylaspartate/creatine [NAA/Cr]) were evaluated at baseline and 1-week, and compared between responders, non-responders, and healthy controls. RESULTS Twenty healthy controls and 23 patients with medically-refractory TN treated surgically (17 responders, 6 non-responders) were included. Pre-operatively, TN patients as a group showed significantly larger thalamus volume contralateral to the side of facial pain. However, vertex-wise shape analysis showed significant contralateral thalamus volume reduction in non-responders compared to responders in an axially-oriented band spanning the outer thalamic circumference (peak p = 0.019). Further, while pre-operative thalamic metabolite concentrations did not differ between responders and non-responders, as early as 1-week after surgery, long-term non-responders showed a distinct decrease in contralateral thalamic Cho/Cr and NAA/Cr, irrespective of surgery type, which was not observed in responders. CONCLUSIONS Atrophy of the contralateral thalamus is a consistent feature across patients with medically-refractory TN. Regional alterations in preoperative thalamic structure, and very early post-operative metabolic changes in the thalamus, both appear to influence the durability of pain relief after TN surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayden Danyluk
- Division of Surgical Research, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, 3-002 Li Ka Shing Centre For Research, 11203 - 87 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H5, Canada
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, 2D Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, 8440-112 Street NW, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2B7, Canada
| | - Jennifer Andrews
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, 2D Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, 8440-112 Street NW, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2B7, Canada
| | - Rohit Kesarwani
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, 2D Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, 8440-112 Street NW, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2B7, Canada
| | - Peter Seres
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, 1098 Research Transition Facility, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2V2, Canada
| | - Robert Broad
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, 2D Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, 8440-112 Street NW, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2B7, Canada
| | - B Matt Wheatley
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, 2D Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, 8440-112 Street NW, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2B7, Canada
| | - Tejas Sankar
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, 2D Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, 8440-112 Street NW, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2B7, Canada.
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Tohyama S, Walker MR, Zhang JY, Cheng JC, Hodaie M. Brainstem trigeminal fiber microstructural abnormalities are associated with treatment response across subtypes of trigeminal neuralgia. Pain 2021; 162:1790-1799. [PMID: 33306503 PMCID: PMC8120686 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Neurosurgical treatments for trigeminal neuralgia (TN) can provide long-lasting pain relief; however, some patients fail to respond and undergo multiple, repeat procedures. Surgical outcomes can vary depending on the type of TN, but the reasons for this are not well understood. Neuroimaging studies of TN point to abnormalities in the brainstem trigeminal fibers; however, whether this is a common characteristic of treatment nonresponse across different subtypes of TN is unknown. Here, we used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to determine whether the brainstem trigeminal fiber microstructure is a common biomarker of surgical response in TN and whether the extent of these abnormalities is associated with the likelihood of response across subtypes of TN. We studied 98 patients with TN (61 classical TN, 26 TN secondary to multiple sclerosis, and 11 TN associated with a solitary pontine lesion) who underwent neurosurgical treatment and 50 healthy controls. We assessed treatment response using pain intensity measures and examined microstructural features by extracting pretreatment DTI metrics from the proximal pontine segment of the trigeminal nerves. We found that microstructural abnormalities in the affected pontine trigeminal fibers (notably, lower fractional anisotropy and higher radial diffusivity) highlight treatment nonresponders (n = 47) compared with responders (n = 51) and controls, and that the degree of abnormalities is associated with the likelihood of surgical response across subtypes of TN. These novel findings demonstrate the value of DTI as an objective, noninvasive tool for the prediction of treatment response and elucidate the features that distinguish treatment responders from nonresponders in the TN population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarasa Tohyama
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour—Systems Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Matthew R. Walker
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour—Systems Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jia Y. Zhang
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour—Systems Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Joshua C. Cheng
- Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Mojgan Hodaie
- Division of Brain, Imaging, and Behaviour—Systems Neuroscience, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Neurosurgery, Krembil Neuroscience Centre, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Danyluk H, Ishaque A, Ta D, Yang YH, Wheatley BM, Kalra S, Sankar T. MRI Texture Analysis Reveals Brain Abnormalities in Medically Refractory Trigeminal Neuralgia. Front Neurol 2021; 12:626504. [PMID: 33643203 PMCID: PMC7907508 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.626504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Several neuroimaging studies report structural alterations of the trigeminal nerve in trigeminal neuralgia (TN). Less attention has been paid to structural brain changes occurring in TN, even though such changes can influence the development and response to treatment of other headache and chronic pain conditions. The purpose of this study was to apply a novel neuroimaging technique-texture analysis-to identify structural brain differences between classical TN patients and healthy subjects. Methods: We prospectively recruited 14 medically refractory classical TN patients and 20 healthy subjects. 3-Tesla T1-weighted brain MRI scans were acquired in all participants. Three texture features (autocorrelation, contrast, energy) were calculated within four a priori brain regions of interest (anterior cingulate, insula, thalamus, brainstem). Voxel-wise analysis was used to identify clusters of texture difference between TN patients and healthy subjects within regions of interest (p < 0.001, cluster size >20 voxels). Median raw texture values within clusters were also compared between groups, and further used to differentiate TN patients from healthy subjects (receiver-operator characteristic curve analysis). Median raw texture values were correlated with pain severity (visual analog scale, 1-100) and illness duration. Results: Several clusters of texture difference were observed between TN patients and healthy subjects: right-sided TN patients showed reduced autocorrelation in the left brainstem, increased contrast in the left brainstem and right anterior insula, and reduced energy in right and left anterior cingulate, right midbrain, and left brainstem. Within-cluster median raw texture values also differed between TN patients and healthy subjects: TN patients could be segregated from healthy subjects using brainstem autocorrelation (p = 0.0040, AUC = 0.84, sensitivity = 89%, specificity = 70%), anterior insula contrast (p = 0.0002, AUC = 0.92, sensitivity = 78%, specificity = 100%), and anterior cingulate energy (p = 0.0004, AUC = 0.92, sensitivity = 78%, specificity = 100%). Additionally, anterior insula contrast and duration of TN were inversely correlated (p = 0.030, Spearman r = -0.73). Conclusions: Texture analysis reveals distinct brain abnormalities in TN, which relate to clinical features such as duration of illness. These findings further implicate structural brain changes in the development and maintenance of TN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayden Danyluk
- Division of Surgical Research, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Abdullah Ishaque
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Daniel Ta
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Yee Hong Yang
- Department of Computing Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - B Matthew Wheatley
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Sanjay Kalra
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Tejas Sankar
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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