1. Abnormalities of resting state functional connectivity are related to sustained attention deficits in MS
- Author
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Reinhold Schmidt, Massimo Filippi, Franz Fazekas, Siegrid Fuchs, Marisa Loitfelder, M A Rocca, Christian Enzinger, Christa Neuper, Stefan Ropele, Margit Jehna, Paola Valsasina, Loitfelder, M, Filippi, Massimo, Rocca, Ma, Valsasina, P, Ropele, S, Jehna, M, Fuchs, S, Schmidt, R, Neuper, C, Fazekas, F, and Enzinger, C.
- Subjects
Adult ,Cingulate cortex ,Multiple Sclerosis ,Adolescent ,Science ,Neuroimaging ,Neuropsychological Tests ,Biology ,Social and Behavioral Sciences ,Gyrus Cinguli ,behavioral disciplines and activities ,Autoimmune Diseases ,Young Adult ,Neuropsychology ,medicine ,Psychology ,Humans ,Attention ,Anterior cingulate cortex ,Default mode network ,Multidisciplinary ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,Resting state fMRI ,Cognitive Neurology ,Multiple sclerosis ,fMRI ,Magnetic resonance imaging ,Limbic lobe ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Demyelinating Disorders ,Magnetic Resonance Imaging ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Neurology ,nervous system ,Case-Control Studies ,Medicine ,Clinical Immunology ,Basal Metabolism ,Nerve Net ,Functional magnetic resonance imaging ,Neuroscience ,psychological phenomena and processes ,Research Article - Abstract
ObjectivesResting state (RS) functional MRI recently identified default network abnormalities related to cognitive impairment in MS. fMRI can also be used to map functional connectivity (FC) while the brain is at rest and not adhered to a specific task. Given the importance of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) for higher executive functioning in MS, we here used the ACC as seed-point to test for differences and similarities in RS-FC related to sustained attention between MS patients and controls.DesignBlock-design rest phases of 3 Tesla fMRI data were analyzed to assess RS-FC in 31 patients (10 clinically isolated syndromes, 16 relapsing-remitting, 5 secondary progressive MS) and 31 age- and gender matched healthy controls (HC). Participants underwent extensive cognitive testing.ObservationsIn both groups, signal changes in several brain areas demonstrated significant correlation with RS-activity in the ACC. These comprised the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), insular cortices, the right caudate, right middle temporal gyrus, angular gyri, the right hippocampus, and the cerebellum. Compared to HC, patients showed increased FC between the ACC and the left angular gyrus, left PCC, and right postcentral gyrus. Better cognitive performance in the patients was associated with increased FC to the cerebellum, middle temporal gyrus, occipital pole, and the angular gyrus.ConclusionWe provide evidence for adaptive changes in RS-FC in MS patients compared to HC in a sustained attention network. These results extend and partly mirror findings of task-related fMRI, suggesting FC may increase our understanding of cognitive dysfunction in MS.
- Published
- 2012