Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42681662›Full record

ArticleBiomarker research2026

Mapping brain volume changes in the zQ175DN mouse model of Huntington's disease: a longitudinal MRI study.

Nicholas Vidas-Guscic, Tamara Vasilkovska, Stefanie Pluym, Joëlle van Rijswijk, Johan Van Audekerke, Haiying Tang, Ignacio Muñoz-Sanjuán, Dorian Pustina, Roger Cachope, Annemie Van der Linden and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Biomarker research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

12 authors.

Nicholas Vidas-Guscic *Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk, Antwerp, 2610, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7467-5367
Tamara Vasilkovska *Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk, Antwerp, 2610, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7611-3966
Stefanie PluymBio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk, Antwerp, 2610, Belgium.
Joëlle van RijswijkBio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk, Antwerp, 2610, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6971-7358
Johan Van AudekerkeBio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk, Antwerp, 2610, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5944-4640
Haiying TangCHDI Management, Inc., The Company that Manages the Scientific Activities of CHDI Foundation, Inc., Princeton, NJ, USA.
Ignacio Muñoz-SanjuánCHDI Management, Inc., The Company that Manages the Scientific Activities of CHDI Foundation, Inc., Princeton, NJ, USA.
Dorian PustinaCHDI Management, Inc., The Company that Manages the Scientific Activities of CHDI Foundation, Inc., Princeton, NJ, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2834-7220
Roger CachopeCHDI Management, Inc., The Company that Manages the Scientific Activities of CHDI Foundation, Inc., Princeton, NJ, USA.
Annemie Van der LindenBio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk, Antwerp, 2610, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2941-6520
Daniele BertoglioBio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk, Antwerp, 2610, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4205-5432
Marleen VerhoyeBio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk, Antwerp, 2610, Belgium. marleen.verhoye@uantwerpen.be.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6267-0611

Funding

CHDI Foundation A-15040Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek OZ3544
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHuntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting motor and cognitive abilities, as well as exhibiting psychiatric manifestations. Studies in people with HD (PwHD) consistently report atrophy of the caudate and putamen as an early pathological event and is therefore considered an early biomarker. Investigating whether similar phenotypic features are apparent in rodent HD models is important since it could have translational potential in evaluating the efficacy of novel therapeutic strategies.

methodsWe used high-resolution anatomical images to longitudinally investigate brain morphology in the zQ175DN heterozygous mouse model (HET) and wildtype littermates (WT) at 3, 6, and 10 months of age (M), which reflect different stages of phenotypic progression. We investigated volumetric alterations using semi-automatic segmentations of HD on relevant regions-of-interest (striatum, cerebellum, corpus callosum, cerebral cortex, ventricles, and total brain volume) and whole brain voxel-wise Tensor Based Morphometry (TBM) analysis.

resultsThe striatum showed the earliest progressive lower absolute volume in HET mice compared to WT, starting from 3 M, followed by lower absolute volume of cortex and corpus callosum concomitantly at 6 and 10 M. TBM highlighted lower relative local volume in the rostral-medial striatum at all ages, and in cerebral cortex in HET mice at 6 and 10 M. A bigger relative local volume in the cerebellum was observed at all ages in HET mice, and in the globus pallidus, substantia nigra, at 6 and 10 M.

conclusionsOverall, this study revealed key structural abnormalities that resemble the natural history of PwHD. Hence, analysis of brain structure through MRI in the zQ175DN heterozygous mouse model holds potential for testing disease-modifying treatments expected to slow down or prevent structural degeneration.

Indexed as

Brain morphologyBrain volumeHuntington's diseaseLongitudinalMouse modelTBM

Identifiers

PMID42681662
PMCPMC13531864

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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.