Brain volumetric analysis and cortical thickness in adults with saccadic intrusions (ocular flutter or opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome).

Objective: Ocular flutter (OF) and opsoclonus are considered a continuum with a similar pathogenesis. Due to the rarity of this disease in the adult population, little is known about the brain morphological changes in the chronic phase of the disease.

Methods: Six magnetic resonance imaging from adults with previous history of OF/Opsoclonus and 12 healthy patients (paired by age and sex) were analyzed in order to identify the long term cortical thickness pattern in this rare disease by using Freesurfer.

Results: Patients with OF/Opsoclonus showed reduced cerebellum cortical volume with a subsequent diminution in total cerebellar volume. White mater cerebellum volume was not modified. In addition, we have also identified a significant supratentorial gray matter volume decrease in OF/Opsoclonus patients, involving both the cortical and the subcortical gray matter.

Conclusions: OF/Opsoclonus in adults may be associated with cortical and subcortical gray matter atrophy, as well as decreased cerebellar cortical volume. Further larger prospective studies are necessary to confirm these results.