Introduction

In dogs, the thickness of the interthalamic adhesion is considered an important marker for monitoring the progression of cerebral atrophy.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to determine whether the thickness of the interthalamic adhesion is a reliable predictor for the progression of cerebral atrophy in healthy domestic cats.

Methods

Brain MRI images of twelve adult (1–6 years), eleven mature (7–11 years) and ten geriatric (12 years of age or older) non­brachycephalic cats were obtained in this study. Thickness of the interthalamic adhesion was measured on transverse T1- and T2-weighted sequences and then, the average value was calculated. Cerebral volume was determined by manual delimitation of the cerebral surface on transverse T1-weighted images. Ventricle volumes (lateral and third ventricles) were subtracted from the cerebral volume, obtaining the volume of the cerebral parenchyma, which was corrected for the intracranial volume, posteriorly. Pearson test was used to obtain the correlation between the thickness of the interthalamic adhesion and percentage of the cerebral parenchyma volume by intracranial volume.

Results

Significant positive association was found between the thickness of the interthalamic adhesion and percentage of the cerebral parenchyma volume by intracranial volume. However, the correlation between these two variables was considered moderate (r=0.410) and not strong, as expected.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the results indicate that thickness of the interthalamic adhesion may predict the progression of cerebral atrophy in cats, however, it may not be the most reliable parameter to monitor cerebral atrophy in these animals.