Statistical Difference in Cerebral Cortical Thickness in Patients with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis and Normal Controls Using Computational Techniques - The Updated Data.

Introduction: Previous statistical analysis of the brain MRI in AIS and normal controls (NC) suggested there were regional differences in the splenium of corpus callosum and left internal capsule. Cortical thinning has been reported during normal brain maturation in adolescence. Objectives: The objective of this study is to investigate the brain maturation by cerebral cortical thickness (CCT) among AIS and NC. Materials and methods: Fifty AIS patients were with moderate-to-severe (i.e., Cobb angle≥20°) right-thoracic curves (9 moderate; 41 severe; mean Cobb angle=48.7°, range=20°~90°; mean age=14.46 yrs; age range=12~17 yrs). Forty age-matched NC were recruited from local schools. Based on the T1W MRI, CCT was calculated using Freesurfer. Results: CCT declined significantly in almost all cortical lobes in NC (ρ<-0.4; P≤0.05) except temporal lobe in left hemisphere, while in AIS this decline was weakly correlated with age (ρ>-0.4). For example, CCTs of the right hemisphere at the age of 13-16 yrs in AIS were 2.46mm, 2.49mm, 2.49mm, and 2.45mm respectively, and in NC were 2.55mm, 2.49mm, 2.46mm, and 2.42mm respectively. Quadratic regression expressed detailed difference in the age-related cortical changing pattern between the two groups. Focal CCT was significantly different in AIS patients compared with healthy controls in areas involved in motor and vestibular functions as well as object recognition. Conclusion and significance: The findings from this study imply a different thinning pattern of the cerebral cortex during adolescence in patients with AIS; this may be primary (i.e. etiopathogenetic) or secondary (i.e. adaptation) to the development of scoliosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]