Nervous System Diseases

Symptoms and General Pathology

All Conditions

Neoplasms

Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases

Neuralgia

Pain

Ganglion Cysts

Synovial Cyst

Cysts

Mucinoses

Connective Tissue Diseases

healthy volunteer

Xianwei Zhang, Doctor

Here, this study aimed to conduct magnetic resonance neurography (MRN) of the thoracic DRGs in a cohort of healthy individuals. The acquired images will be thoroughly analyzed utilizing 3D-slicer software. We expect to furnish crucial baseline anatomical data of thoracic DRGs in healthy subjects, provide an anatomical basis for clinical investigation and therapeutic interventions.

Chronic neuropathic pain remains a world's public health challenges, affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide. It is estimated that 11.2% of general-practice patients suffer from neuropathic pain, and many continue to suffer from intractable pain and/or undesirable side effects. Neuropathic pain refers to the entire somatosensory system, encompassing both central and peripheral neuropathic pain. In recent years, although significant advancements have been achieved in the mechanism and management of neuropathic pain, and numerous pharmaceutical agents and therapeutic approaches have been utilized for its treatment, the outcomes still to be less than optimal. Moreover, the adverse side effects associated with certain first- and second-line medications, such as antidepressants and anticonvulsants, as well as the potential for opioid addiction, significantly impact patients' adherence to treatment. Hence, there remains a need for continued investigation into effective strategies for the management of neuropathic pain.

Therapies focused on the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) have emerged as a significant intervention in the clinical practice of pain physicians for the management of chronic pain, given its integral and important role in the signals transmission from the peripheral nervous system to the central nervous system. Accurate positioning holds paramount importance during the treatment process, necessitating clinicians to possess a comprehensive understanding of the morphology, distribution, and interconnections of the dorsal root ganglia across various segments. Currently, there exists a limited number of in vivo investigations concerning the dorsal root ganglion (DRG), with a predominant emphasis on the lumbar segment, which have mostly used invasive neuroradiography. The investigation on thoracic DRG remains largely unexplored. However, herpes zoster, the most prevalent form of neuropathic pain, manifests most frequently in the thoracic segment. Furthermore, the studies of herpes zoster reveal that DRG plays a significant role in the progression of the disease and the transmission of pain signals. Hence, a comprehensive comprehension of the anatomy and variability of thoracic DRGs assumes significance not only in accurately comprehending the pathological anatomy of neuropathic pain in the thoracic region, but also in providing guidance for interventional and individualized treatment targeting the DRGs.

Magnetic Resonance Neurography Analysis of Healthy Human Thoracic Dorsal Root Ganglion

the average DRG volume in each thoracic segment of healthy volunteers

width/length ratio of DRGs in the slice of largest volume

Huazhong University of Science and Technology

Clinical Professor

Infections

Herpes Simplex

Neuralgia, Postherpetic

Herpes Zoster

Peripheral Nervous System Diseases

Neuromuscular Diseases

Neurologic Manifestations

cai'e Zhang, Doctor

Xueqin Cao, Doctor

Object: Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is pain that persists for 1-3 months after herpes zoster onset. It is the most common complication of herpes zoster and occurs in 15-40% of patients with herpes zoster. PHN has been suggested to be related with the lesion of doral root ganglion (DRG). However, the studies are almost limited to autopsies and animals , and the mechanism of PHN is still unclear. This study was conducted to investigate morphological and metabolic changes of DRG and sympathetic ganglion in patients with postherpetic neuralgia on MRI. Method: 30 patients diagnosed as PHN were recruited. The volume and fractional anisotropy of DRG of lesion dermatomes were measured under MRI, and compared with contralateral and adjacent DRG. The volume and fractional anisotropy of sympathetic ganglion of lesion dermatomes were also measured under MRI, and compared with contralateral and adjacent sympathetic ganglion.Then, the association between clinical phenotypes and DRG changes were analyzed.

Patients with the following conditions were excluded: psychiatric diseases or communication disorders; contraindications to MRI;DRG radiofrequency therapy, spinal cord electrical stimulation and other direct intervention treatments for DRG were performed before examination.

Morphological and Metabolic Changes of Dorsal Root Ganglion and Sympathetic Ganglion in Patients With Postherpetic Neuralgia on MRI

DRGs of lesion and contralateral dermatomes were scanned under MRI. Then, the valume (the maximum cross-section area ×layers/2) and fractional anisotropy of DRGs were measured with RadiAnt DICOM Viewer, and the comparison was made between lesion and contralateral DRG.

as primary outcome measure, sympathetic ganglions of lesion and contralateral dermatomes were scanned under MRI. Then, the valume (the maximum cross-section area ×layers/2) and fractional anisotropy of sympathetic ganglions were measured with RadiAnt DICOM Viewer, and the comparison was made between lesion and contralateral sympathetic ganglions.

DRGs of lesion and adjacent dermatomes were scanned under MRI. Then, the valume (the maximum cross-section area ×layers/2) and fractional anisotropy of DRGs were measured with RadiAnt DICOM Viewer, and the comparison was made between lesion and adjacent DRG.

Study title	NCT ID	Conditions	Interventions	Eligibility	Organization	Link
Magnetic Resonance Neurography Analysis of Healthy Human Thoracic Dorsal Root Ganglion	NCT06177379	Dorsal Root Gan...	healthy volunte...	40 Years - 75 Years	Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Morphological and Metabolic Changes of Dorsal Root Ganglion and Sympathetic Ganglion in Patients With Postherpetic Neuralgia on MRI	NCT04880408	Pain Neuropathy;Peri...		18 Years -	Huazhong University of Science and Technology

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