Hartung, ViktorViktorHartungPrell, TinoTinoPrellGaser, ChristianChristianGaserTurner, Martin R.Martin R.TurnerTietz, FlorianFlorianTietzIlse, BenjaminBenjaminIlseBokemeyer, MartinMartinBokemeyerWitte, Otto-WilhelmOtto-WilhelmWitteGrosskreutz, JulianJulianGrosskreutz2018-11-072018-11-072014https://resolver.sub.uni-goettingen.de/purl?gro-2/32636Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by progressive loss of upper and lower motor neurons. Advanced MRI techniques such as diffusion tensor imaging have shown great potential in capturing a common white matter pathology. However the sensitivity is variable and diffusion tensor imaging is not yet applicable to the routine clinical environment. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) has revealed grey matter changes in ALS, but the bias-reducing algorithms inherent to traditional VBM are not optimized for the assessment of the white matter changes. We have developed a novel approach to white matter analysis, namely voxel-based intensitometry (VBI). High resolution T1-weighted MRI was acquired at 1.5 Tesla in 30 ALS patients and 37 age-matched healthy controls. VBI analysis at the group level revealed widespread white matter intensity increases in the corticospinal tracts, corpus callosum, sub-central, frontal and occipital white matter tracts and cerebellum. VBI results correlated with disease severity (ALSFRS-R) and patterns of cerebral involvement differed between bulbar- and limb-onset. VBI would be easily translatable to the routine clinical environment, and once optimized for individual analysis offers significant biomarker potential in ALS.CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0journal_article10.1371/journal.pone.010489425133577000341302700048https://resolver.sub.uni-goettingen.de/purl?gs-1/11611