Evaluation of cerebellum volume and trunk oscillation velocity in cases with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a preliminary report

Purpose It has been suggested that the cause of the balance disorder seen in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) originates from the central nervous system. However, the extent of the balance problem and the dysfunction of which part of the central nervous system has not been investigated in detail. This study aimed to correlate the values obtained by balance analysis and cerebellum volume measurement in female individuals with AIS with healthy individuals. Methods Cerebellum volume was calculated via the cloud-based software “ https://volbrain.upv.es ” using brain magnetic resonance images of 27 healthy and 26 individuals with AIS. The duration of stay in the test positions, the movement strategy used during this time and the amount of postural sway were analyzed by using a computer-assisted force platform and compared statistically. Results Significant differences were found between the AIS and control groups in cerebellum total volume, vermis cerebelli volume (cm 3 ), and trunk oscillation velocity (mm/s) parameters ( p < 0.05). Cerebellum and vermis cerebelli volumes were found to be lower and trunk oscillation velocity was found to be greater in patients with AIS. Conclusion Balance problems in patients with AIS are correlated with decreased cerebellum volume and increased trunk oscillation velocity.