Microstructural Alterations in Asymptomatic and Symptomatic Patients with Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3: A Tract-Based Spatial Statistics Study

Abstract

WM microstructural changes are present even in the asymptomatic stages of SCA3. In individuals in which the disease has progressed to the symptomatic stage, the integrity of WM fibers across the whole brain is affected. Furthermore, abnormalities in WM tracts are closely related to SCA3 disease severity, including movement disorder and cognitive dysfunction. These findings can deepen our understanding of the neural basis of SCA3 dysfunction.