ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the grey matter volume (GMV) changes in neuromyelitis optica (NMO) patients using a voxel-based morphometry method.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Whole brain structural images were acquired in 16 NMO patients and 16 gender-and age-matched healthy controls. Comparison of GMV between the two groups was analyzed by VBM8 toolbox of statistical parametric mapping 8.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Compared with the controls, NMO patients showed decreased GMV in the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, occipital lobe, limbic lobe, optic tract, caudate nucleus, thalamus, and cerebellum (all P < 0.005).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Regional atrophy of grey matter is found in NMO patients. Voxel-based morphometry can reveal brain volume changes sensitively.</p>