Contributions
Abstract: P498
Type: Poster
Abstract Category: Pathology and pathogenesis of MS - Imaging
Background: Fatigue affects a large proportion of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Despite its relevance and frequency in MS, the pathophysiology of MS-related fatigue is still poorly understood and controversial.
Objectives: To investigate resting-state functional connectivity (RS-FC) of the default mode network (DMN) and of sensorimotor network (SMN) in MS patients with (F) and without (NF) fatigue.
Methods: Sixty not-depressed relapsing remitting (RR) MS patients and 30 sex, age and education-matched healthy controls (HC) underwent a 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol including structural and resting-state fMRI (RS-fMRI) sequences. MS patients were evaluated by a neurological examination and the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Functional connectivity of the DMN and SMN was evaluated by independent component analysis (ICA). Regional gray matter atrophy was assessed by voxel-based morphometry (VBM).
Results: Thirty RRMS patients were fatigued (F-MS). Compared to HC: 1) NF-MS patients showed a stronger RS-FC in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) of the DMN and a reduced RS-FC in the pre-central gyrus of the SMN; 2) F-MS patients showed a stronger RS-FC in the PCC and a reduced RS-FC in the ACC of the DMN. F-MS patients, compared to NF-MS patients, revealed:
1) an increased RS-FC in the PCC and a reduced RS-FC in the ACC of the DMN and
2) an increased RS-FC in the precentral gyrus and in the supplementary motor area of the SMN. All detected RS-FC changes did not co-localize with regional gray matter atrophy.
Conclusions: Fatigue in RRMS is associated to relevant RS-FC changes, including an antero-posterior reorganization of the DMN and a strengthening of the SMN. These results further supports the hypothesis that fatigue in MS is mostly subtended by a functional rearrangement of frontal networks.
Disclosure:
Alvino Bisecco: nothing to disclose.
Federica Di Nardo: nothing to disclose.
Renato Docimo: nothing to disclose.
Giuseppina Caiazzo: nothing to disclose.
Alessandro d´Ambrosio: nothing to disclose.
Rosaria Sacco: nothing to disclose.
Mario Cirillo: nothing to disclose.
Fabrizio Esposito: nothing to disclose.
Simona Bonavita received speakers honoraria from Biogen Idec, Novartis, and Merck-Serono.
Gioacchino Tedeschi has received compensation for consulting services and/or speaking activities from Bayer Schering Pharma, Biogen Idec, Merck Serono, and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries; and receives research support from Biogen Idec, Merck Serono, and Fondazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla.
Antonio Galloreceived honoraria for speaking and travel grants from Biogen, Sanofi-Aventis, Merck Serono, Genzyme, Teva, Bayer-Schering and Novartis.
Abstract: P498
Type: Poster
Abstract Category: Pathology and pathogenesis of MS - Imaging
Background: Fatigue affects a large proportion of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Despite its relevance and frequency in MS, the pathophysiology of MS-related fatigue is still poorly understood and controversial.
Objectives: To investigate resting-state functional connectivity (RS-FC) of the default mode network (DMN) and of sensorimotor network (SMN) in MS patients with (F) and without (NF) fatigue.
Methods: Sixty not-depressed relapsing remitting (RR) MS patients and 30 sex, age and education-matched healthy controls (HC) underwent a 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol including structural and resting-state fMRI (RS-fMRI) sequences. MS patients were evaluated by a neurological examination and the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Functional connectivity of the DMN and SMN was evaluated by independent component analysis (ICA). Regional gray matter atrophy was assessed by voxel-based morphometry (VBM).
Results: Thirty RRMS patients were fatigued (F-MS). Compared to HC: 1) NF-MS patients showed a stronger RS-FC in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) of the DMN and a reduced RS-FC in the pre-central gyrus of the SMN; 2) F-MS patients showed a stronger RS-FC in the PCC and a reduced RS-FC in the ACC of the DMN. F-MS patients, compared to NF-MS patients, revealed:
1) an increased RS-FC in the PCC and a reduced RS-FC in the ACC of the DMN and
2) an increased RS-FC in the precentral gyrus and in the supplementary motor area of the SMN. All detected RS-FC changes did not co-localize with regional gray matter atrophy.
Conclusions: Fatigue in RRMS is associated to relevant RS-FC changes, including an antero-posterior reorganization of the DMN and a strengthening of the SMN. These results further supports the hypothesis that fatigue in MS is mostly subtended by a functional rearrangement of frontal networks.
Disclosure:
Alvino Bisecco: nothing to disclose.
Federica Di Nardo: nothing to disclose.
Renato Docimo: nothing to disclose.
Giuseppina Caiazzo: nothing to disclose.
Alessandro d´Ambrosio: nothing to disclose.
Rosaria Sacco: nothing to disclose.
Mario Cirillo: nothing to disclose.
Fabrizio Esposito: nothing to disclose.
Simona Bonavita received speakers honoraria from Biogen Idec, Novartis, and Merck-Serono.
Gioacchino Tedeschi has received compensation for consulting services and/or speaking activities from Bayer Schering Pharma, Biogen Idec, Merck Serono, and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries; and receives research support from Biogen Idec, Merck Serono, and Fondazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla.
Antonio Galloreceived honoraria for speaking and travel grants from Biogen, Sanofi-Aventis, Merck Serono, Genzyme, Teva, Bayer-Schering and Novartis.