Contributions
Abstract: P1077
Type: Poster
Abstract Category: Pathology and pathogenesis of MS - Imaging
Background: Cortical grey matter (GM) involvement of the Multiple Sclerosis pathology is now well established. Here we investigated differences between patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and healthy subjects (HC) in local subcortical GM volume, hippocampal subfields and extra-hippocampal white matter. The relation between structural changes and cognitive functioning was also analysed.
Methods: Recently developed analyses techniques (MAGeT Brain, Chakravarty et al., 2013) were applied to investigate subcortical volumes of the thalamus, basal ganglia and amygdala, and their relation to cognitive functions in forty-eight patients RRMS and in 48 gender- and education-matched HC. In addition, automated hippocampus segmentation was performed in the same group by using a novel in-vivo atlas of human hippocampal subfields (Pipitone et al., 2014; Winterburn et al., 2013), including the cornu ammonis (CA) areas, the dentate gyrus, strata radiatum/lacunosum/moleculare, subiculum and associated white matter, the alveus, fimbria and fornix (Amaral et al. submitted).
Results: Compared to controls, patients with RRMS showed volume reduction in bilateral thalamus (right t=-6.88, q< .01; left t=-6.60, q< .01), globus pallidus (GP) (right t=-2.68, q< .05; left t=-2.58, q< .05), striatum (right t=-3.70, q< .01; left t=-3.86, q< .01) and right amygdala (t=-3.03, q< .05; all FDR corrected for multiple comparisons). With respect to the hippocampus, bilateral hippocampal white matter as opposed to GM volumes, were smaller in RRMS compared to HC (left fimbria t=-3.49, q< .01; right fimbria t=-4.02, q< .01; right fornix t=-2.92, q< .05). Bilateral atrophy of the fimbria and the CA2/CA3 hippocampal subfield was significantly correlated with verbal and non-verbal memory deficits.
Conclusion: Our results reveal significant volume reductions in several subcortical grey matter areas such as the thalamus, GP, striatum and right amygdala in RRMS compared to HC. We also found region-specific vulnerability of hippocampal white matter to RRMS pathology and identify distinct hippocampal subfield atrophy patterns related to memory impairment. Identifying MR imaging markers of subcortical GM damage may help develop specific neuroprotective treatment strategies. Automated techniques that allow investigation of large data sets can reliably and efficiently help in monitoring and possibly predicting disease progression.
Disclosure: Broicher: nothing to disclose
Geisseler: nothing to disclose
Germann: nothing to disclose
Pflugshaupt: nothing to disclose
Amaral: nothing to disclose
Linnebank: nothing to disclose
Brugger: nothing to disclose
Schuknecht: nothing to disclose
Leh: nothing to disclose
Abstract: P1077
Type: Poster
Abstract Category: Pathology and pathogenesis of MS - Imaging
Background: Cortical grey matter (GM) involvement of the Multiple Sclerosis pathology is now well established. Here we investigated differences between patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and healthy subjects (HC) in local subcortical GM volume, hippocampal subfields and extra-hippocampal white matter. The relation between structural changes and cognitive functioning was also analysed.
Methods: Recently developed analyses techniques (MAGeT Brain, Chakravarty et al., 2013) were applied to investigate subcortical volumes of the thalamus, basal ganglia and amygdala, and their relation to cognitive functions in forty-eight patients RRMS and in 48 gender- and education-matched HC. In addition, automated hippocampus segmentation was performed in the same group by using a novel in-vivo atlas of human hippocampal subfields (Pipitone et al., 2014; Winterburn et al., 2013), including the cornu ammonis (CA) areas, the dentate gyrus, strata radiatum/lacunosum/moleculare, subiculum and associated white matter, the alveus, fimbria and fornix (Amaral et al. submitted).
Results: Compared to controls, patients with RRMS showed volume reduction in bilateral thalamus (right t=-6.88, q< .01; left t=-6.60, q< .01), globus pallidus (GP) (right t=-2.68, q< .05; left t=-2.58, q< .05), striatum (right t=-3.70, q< .01; left t=-3.86, q< .01) and right amygdala (t=-3.03, q< .05; all FDR corrected for multiple comparisons). With respect to the hippocampus, bilateral hippocampal white matter as opposed to GM volumes, were smaller in RRMS compared to HC (left fimbria t=-3.49, q< .01; right fimbria t=-4.02, q< .01; right fornix t=-2.92, q< .05). Bilateral atrophy of the fimbria and the CA2/CA3 hippocampal subfield was significantly correlated with verbal and non-verbal memory deficits.
Conclusion: Our results reveal significant volume reductions in several subcortical grey matter areas such as the thalamus, GP, striatum and right amygdala in RRMS compared to HC. We also found region-specific vulnerability of hippocampal white matter to RRMS pathology and identify distinct hippocampal subfield atrophy patterns related to memory impairment. Identifying MR imaging markers of subcortical GM damage may help develop specific neuroprotective treatment strategies. Automated techniques that allow investigation of large data sets can reliably and efficiently help in monitoring and possibly predicting disease progression.
Disclosure: Broicher: nothing to disclose
Geisseler: nothing to disclose
Germann: nothing to disclose
Pflugshaupt: nothing to disclose
Amaral: nothing to disclose
Linnebank: nothing to disclose
Brugger: nothing to disclose
Schuknecht: nothing to disclose
Leh: nothing to disclose