Frontal lobe damage and thalamic volume changes

The aim of this study was to investigate whether frontal robe damage affect s thalamic volume in humans. Ipsilateral and contralateral thalamic areas w ere measured in 0.5T T1-weighted sagittal magnetic resonance images in 12 p atients, first at the time of their surgery for relief of a unilateral fron tal robe brain tumor and at follow-up similar to 2 years later. A 5% decrea se in ipsilateral and 4.5% increase in contralateral thalamic area was foun d over time (F(1,11) = 6.15, P<0.05) We conclude that unilateral frontal lo be damage results in a decrease in the ipsilateral thalamus and an increase in the contralateral thalamus in humans in vivo. The findings may have imp lications for the interpretation of the reported changes in thalamic volume in neuropsychiatric diseases. NeuroReport 11:3039-3041 (C) 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.