Relation of sensorimotor and cognitive cerebellum functional connectivity with brain structural damage in patients with multiple sclerosis and no disability. (4th April 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tommasin, Silvia; Iakovleva, Viktoriia; Rocca, Maria Assunta; Giannì, Costanza; Tedeschi, Gioacchino; De Stefano, Nicola; Pozzilli, Carlo; Filippi, Massimo; Pantano, Patrizia
• Other Names: Petsas Nikolaos investigator.; Ruggieri Serena investigator.; Piervincenzi Claudia investigator.; Valsasina Paola investigator.; Sibilia Mauro investigator.; Preziosa Paolo investigator.; Storelli Loredana investigator.; Gallo Antonio investigator.; Bisecco Alvino investigator.; d'Ambrosio Alessandro investigator.; Stromillo Maria Laura investigator.; Brocci Riccardo Tappa investigator.
• Is Part Of: European journal of neurology. Volume 29:Number 7(2022)
• Page Start: 2036
• Page End: 2046
• Publication Date: 2022-04-04
• Subjects: cognitive cerebellum -- disability -- functional magnetic resonance imaging -- multiples sclerosis -- neural plasticity -- sensorimotor cerebellum; Neurology -- Periodicals; Nervous system -- Diseases -- Periodicals; 616.8
• DOI: 10.1111/ene.15329
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1351-5101

Abstract

Abstract: Background and purpose: To investigate the relationship between the functional connectivity (FC) of the sensorimotor and cognitive cerebellum and measures of structural damage in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and no physical disability. Methods: We selected 144 relapsing–remitting MS patients with an Expanded Disability Status Scale score of ≤1.5 and 98 healthy controls from the Italian Neuroimaging Network Initiative database. From multimodal 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including functional MRI at rest, we calculated lesion load, cortical thickness, and white matter, cortical gray matter, and caudate, putamen, thalamic, and cerebellar volumes. Voxel‐wise FC of the sensorimotor and cognitive cerebellum was assessed with seed‐based analysis, and multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between FC and structural damage. Results: Whole brain, white matter, caudate, putamen, and thalamic volumes were reduced in patients compared to controls, whereas cortical gray matter was not significantly different in patients versus controls. Both the sensorimotor and cognitive cerebellum showed a widespread pattern of increased and decreased FC that were negatively associated with structural measures, indicating that the lower the FC, the greater the tissue loss. Lastly, among multiple structural measures, cortical gray matter and white matter volumes were the best predictors of cerebellar FC alterations. Conclusions: Increased and decreased cerebellar FC with several brain areas coexist in MS patients with no disability. Our data suggest that white matter loss hampers FC, whereas, in the absence of atrophy, cortical volume represents the framework for FC to increase. Abstract : The cerebellum is one of the major sites affected by multiple sclerosis (MS) from early disease stages, and cognitive and sensorimotor cerebellar damage contributes to disability across MS phenotypes. This study evaluated functional connectivity (FC) in patients with MS and no disability. Mechanisms of both increased and decreased cerebellar FC coexist and were associated with volume loss, suggesting that cerebellar FC decrease is linked to white matter loss, whereas cerebellar FC may increase if gray matter is preserved. These alterations may underpin a preserved clinical status despite brain structural damage.