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Grosu, S.* ; Nikolova, T.* ; Lorbeer, R.* ; Stoecklein, V.M.* ; Rospleszcz, S. ; Fink, N.R.* ; Schlett, C.L.* ; Storz, C.* ; Beller, E.* ; Keeser, D.* ; Heier, M. ; Kiefer, L.S.* ; Maurer, E.* ; Walter, S.S.* ; Ertl-Wagner, B.B.* ; Ricke, J.* ; Bamberg, F.* ; Peters, A. ; Stoecklein, S.*

The spine-brain axis: Is spinal anatomy associated with brain volume?

Brain Commun. 6:fcae365 (2024)
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First small sample studies indicate that disturbances of spinal morphology may impair craniospinal flow of cerebrospinal fluid and result in neurodegeneration. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of cervical spinal canal width and scoliosis with grey matter, white matter, ventricular and white matter hyperintensity volumes of the brain in a large study sample. Four hundred participants underwent whole-body 3 T magnetic resonance imaging. Grey matter, white matter and ventricular volumes were quantified using a warp-based automated brain volumetric approach. Spinal canal diameters were measured manually at the cervical vertebrae 2/3 level. Scoliosis was evaluated using manual measurements of the Cobb angle. Linear binomial regression analyses of measures of brain volumes and spine anatomy were performed while adjusting for age, sex, hypertension, cholesterol levels, body mass index, smoking and alcohol consumption. Three hundred eighty-three participants were included [57% male; age: 56.3 (±9.2) years]. After adjustment, smaller spinal canal width at the cervical vertebrae 2/3 level was associated with lower grey matter (P = 0.034), lower white matter (P = 0.012) and higher ventricular (P = 0.006, inverse association) volume. Participants with scoliosis had lower grey matter (P = 0.005), lower white matter (P = 0.011) and larger brain ventricular (P = 0.003) volumes than participants without scoliosis. However, these associations were attenuated after adjustment. Spinal canal width at the cervical vertebrae 2/3 level and scoliosis were not associated with white matter hyperintensity volume before and after adjustment (P > 0.864). In our study, cohort smaller spinal canal width at the cervical vertebrae 2/3 level and scoliosis were associated with lower grey and white matter volumes and larger ventricle size. These characteristics of the spine might constitute independent risk factors for neurodegeneration.
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Publication type Article: Journal article
Document type Scientific Article
Corresponding Author
Keywords Brain ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Scoliosis ; Spinal Canal ; Spine; Cerebrospinal-fluid; Glymphatic System; Hydrocephalus; Population; Stenosis; Disease; Kora
ISSN (print) / ISBN 2632-1297
e-ISSN 2632-1297
Journal Brain communications
Quellenangaben Volume: 6, Issue: 5, Pages: , Article Number: fcae365 Supplement: ,
Publisher Oxford University Press
Publishing Place Great Clarendon St, Oxford Ox2 6dp, England
Non-patent literature Publications
Reviewing status Peer reviewed
Institute(s) Institute of Epidemiology (EPI)
Grants Siemens Health ineers
German Research Foundation (DFG, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Muenchen
Muenchner Zentrum fur Gesundheitswissenschaften (MC-Health)
State of Bavaria
Bundesministerium fur Bildung und Forschung (BMBF
Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, German Research Center for Environmental Health