Altered white matter diffusion properties and gray matter volume in classical trigeminal neuralgia

Investigating microstructural changes in patients with classical trigeminal neuralgia (CTN) has contributed to understanding the pathological neural mechanism of CTN. This study aimed to reveal abnormalities of the trigeminal fiber bundles by combing MR diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) with voxel-based morphometry (VBM). 32 patients with CTN and 32 matched healthy controls were recruited with the main fiber bundle diffusion indices calculated and the whole-brain gray matter volume measured for each subject. Results showed that CTN exhibited microstructural changes in the trigeminal nerve fibers, and the changes might be associated with the pathogenesis of trigeminal neuralgia.