TY - JOUR
T1 - Functional connectivity changes within specific networks parallel the clinical evolution of multiple sclerosis
AU - Basile, B.
AU - Castelli, M.
AU - Monteleone, F.
AU - Nocentini, U.
AU - Caltagirone, C.
AU - Centonze, D.
AU - Cercignani, M.
AU - Bozzali, M.
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Background: In multiple sclerosis (MS), the location of focal lesions does not always correlate with clinical symptoms,suggesting disconnection as a major pathophysiological mechanism. Resting-state (RS) functional magnetic resonanceimaging (fMRI) is believed to reflect brain functional connectivity (FC) within specific neuronal networks.Objective: RS-fMRI was used to investigate changes in FC within two critical networks for the understanding of MSdisabilities, namely, the sensory-motor network (SMN) and the default-mode network (DMN), respectively, implicatedin sensory-motor and cognitive functions.Methods: Thirty-four relapsing-remitting (RR), 14 secondary progressive (SP) MS patients and 25 healthy controlsunderwent MRI at 3T, including conventional images, T1-weighted volumes, and RS-fMRI sequences. Independent componentanalysis (ICA) was employed to extract maps of the relevant RS networks for every participant. Group analyseswere performed to assess changes in FC within the SMN and DMN in the two MS phenotypes.Results: Increased FC was found in both networks of MS patients. Interestingly, specific changes in either direction wereobserved also between RR and SP MS groups.Conclusions: FC changes seem to parallel patients clinical state and capability of compensating for the severity of clinical/cognitive disabilities.
AB - Background: In multiple sclerosis (MS), the location of focal lesions does not always correlate with clinical symptoms,suggesting disconnection as a major pathophysiological mechanism. Resting-state (RS) functional magnetic resonanceimaging (fMRI) is believed to reflect brain functional connectivity (FC) within specific neuronal networks.Objective: RS-fMRI was used to investigate changes in FC within two critical networks for the understanding of MSdisabilities, namely, the sensory-motor network (SMN) and the default-mode network (DMN), respectively, implicatedin sensory-motor and cognitive functions.Methods: Thirty-four relapsing-remitting (RR), 14 secondary progressive (SP) MS patients and 25 healthy controlsunderwent MRI at 3T, including conventional images, T1-weighted volumes, and RS-fMRI sequences. Independent componentanalysis (ICA) was employed to extract maps of the relevant RS networks for every participant. Group analyseswere performed to assess changes in FC within the SMN and DMN in the two MS phenotypes.Results: Increased FC was found in both networks of MS patients. Interestingly, specific changes in either direction wereobserved also between RR and SP MS groups.Conclusions: FC changes seem to parallel patients clinical state and capability of compensating for the severity of clinical/cognitive disabilities.
KW - functional connectivity
KW - Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis
KW - resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging
KW - secondary progressive multiple sclerosis
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U2 - 10.1177/1352458513515082
DO - 10.1177/1352458513515082
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84904820187
SN - 1352-4585
VL - 20
SP - 1050
EP - 1057
JO - Multiple Sclerosis
JF - Multiple Sclerosis
IS - 8
ER -