Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40459733›Full record

ArticleJournal of neurology2025

Structural brain changes contributing to motor signs in pure hereditary spastic paraplegia type 4.

Claudia Piervincenzi, Francesco Asci, Emma Gangemi, Antonio Funcis, Alessandro Zampogna, Marco Falletti, Gabriella Silvestri, Salvatore Rossi, Gianmarco Dalla Zanna, Claudia Celletti and 6 more

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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neurology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Claudia PiervincenziDepartment of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Francesco AsciDepartment of Neurosciences and Sensory Organs, Neurology Unit, AO San Giovanni - Addolorata, Rome, Italy.
Emma GangemiDepartment of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Antonio FuncisDepartment of Neurosciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168, Rome, Italy.
Alessandro ZampognaDepartment of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Marco FallettiDepartment of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Gabriella SilvestriDepartment of Neurosciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168, Rome, Italy.
Salvatore RossiDepartment of Neurosciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168, Rome, Italy.
Gianmarco Dalla ZannaDepartment of Neurosciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168, Rome, Italy.
Claudia CellettiDepartment of Life Sciences, Health, and Health Professions, Link Campus University, Rome, Italy.
Filippo CamerotaPhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation Division, Umberto I University Hospital, Rome, Italy.
Costanza GiannìDepartment of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Nikolaos PetsasSchool of Medical Statistics and Biometry, Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Loredana MaggiPhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation Division, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Roma-Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
Patrizia PantanoDepartment of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy. patrizia.pantano@uniroma1.it.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9659-8294
Antonio SuppaDepartment of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesSpastic paraplegia type 4 (SPG4; also known as SPAST-HSP), the most prevalent variant among pure Hereditary Spastic Paraplegias (HSPs), is clinically characterized by progressive spasticity and weakness in the lower limbs. The present neuroimaging study specifically investigated possible changes in the corticospinal (CST) and thalamo-cortical tracts (TCT) structural integrity and broader cortical, subcortical and spinal pathways, topographically related to upper and lower limbs in SPG4.

methodsForty patients with SPG4 and 40 age- and sex-matched healthy controls underwent 3 T MRI scanning. MRI analyses included: (1) global and primary motor areas cortical thickness; (2) cortical, basal ganglia, thalamic and cerebellar volumetry; (3) diffusion-based probabilistic tractography of CST and TCT serving the arms and legs; and (4) spinal cord area.

resultsSPG4 patients showed significant reductions in thalamic volumes as well as spinal cord area when compared with controls. The volume reduction in thalamic regions correlated with disease severity and spasticity-related impairments. Structural changes in CST and TCT tracts in SPG4 patients were prominent in bundles topographically related to the lower limbs compared with the upper limbs.

conclusionsOur findings point to significant thalamic atrophy as well as white matter tract degeneration topographically related to the lower limbs in SPG4 patients. The findings overall suggest new potential markers for disease progression and functional decline in SPG4 patients.

Indexed as

BrainPyramidal TractsSpastic Paraplegia, HereditaryThalamusAdultDiffusion Tensor ImagingFemaleHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMiddle AgedParaplegiaSpinal CordYoung AdultCorticospinal tractHereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP)Probabilistic tractographyStructural MRI

Identifiers

PMID40459733

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.