Abstract Details

Title Gender Differences of Cortical Thickness in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Topic Anterior Horn

Presentation(s) P06 - (-)

Poster/Presentation
Number 137

Objective

Background BACKGROUND: Emerging epidemiological data suggest an influence of gender on clinical expression of ALS. Apart from the higher incidence and prevalence, males have an earlier onset of symptoms, a higher incidence of spinal onset and use mechanical ventilation more than women. Little is known about any gender-related anatomical differences in ALS.

Design/Methods DESIGN/METHODS: We acquired 3D T1-weighted magnetic resonance images of 29 (16 male) ALS patients who were followed in our Motor Neuron Disease Centre and 20 (9 male) healthy controls. Phenotypic expression was similar between males and females, except for a prevalence of spinal onset in males (68.4%). CT analysis was conducted with FreeSurfer, a set of automated tools that reconstructs brain's cortical surface. Group comparison was performed as a whole brain vertex-wise analysis.

Results RESULTS: Compared to female, male ALS patients showed significant cortical thinning in right precentral gyrus and paracentral lobule and, more extensively, in left precentral and postcentral gyri. Additionally, analyzing both patients and controls, we found a significant interaction effect of gender x presence/absence of disease in the same areas plus in left prefrontal cortex and right supramarginal gyrus.

Conclusions CONCLUSIONS: We found that the thickness of the bilateral primary motor cortex was statistical significantly reduced in ALS men and tends to remain unchanged in ALS women. Primary motor cortex is considered the hallmark of ALS, but probably there is a gender difference in the ultrastructural changes of cortex, which may be due to both different susceptibilities to damage and different abilities to repair. Also the effect of gender on CT may be related to the different phenotypic expression of ALS in males and females.

Authors/Disclosures
PRESENTER	No disclosure on file
Eustachio D'Errico	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
Giancarlo Logroscino, MD, PhD, FAAN (University of Bari)	Dr. Logroscino has nothing to disclose.
	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
Isabella L. Simone (Insitute of Neurologist, Univerisity of Bari Italy)	No disclosure on file
Frauke Zipp, MD (University Medical Center Mainz)	Dr. Zipp has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for Celgene. Dr. Zipp has received personal compensation in the range of $5,000-$9,999 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for Janssen. Dr. Zipp has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for Octapharma. Dr. Zipp has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for Merck. Dr. Zipp has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for Roche. Dr. Zipp has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for TEVA. The institution of Dr. Zipp has received research support from BMBF. The institution of Dr. Zipp has received research support from DFG. The institution of Dr. Zipp has received research support from PMSA. The institution of Dr. Zipp has received research support from Sanofi Genzyme. The institution of Dr. Zipp has received research support from UCB. The institution of Dr. Zipp has received research support from Eisai. The institution of Dr. Zipp has received research support from SK Life Science. The institution of Dr. Zipp has received research support from Abbott. The institution of Dr. Zipp has received research support from Actelion. The institution of Dr. Zipp has received research support from Bayer. The institution of Dr. Zipp has received research support from Servier. Dr. Zipp has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Reviewer with Novartis. Dr. Zipp has received personal compensation in the range of $0-$499 for serving as a Reviewer with Universite de Geneve. Dr. Zipp has received personal compensation in the range of $5,000-$9,999 for serving as a Reviewer with Oppenheim Förderpreis für Multiple Sklerose. Dr. Zipp has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Reviewer with EKFS. Dr. Zipp has a non-compensated relationship as a Associate Editor with Brain that is relevant to AAN interests or activities. Dr. Zipp has a non-compensated relationship as a Advisor with Science Translational Medicine that is relevant to AAN interests or activities.

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