Contributions
Abstract: P555
Type: Poster
Abstract Category: Pathology and pathogenesis of MS - 21 Imaging
Background: Decision-making refers to the process by which a person chooses its actions, and neuroeconomics analyse the neural basis of choices. Choice behaviour in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is slower and characterized by higher risk aversion and a tendency for higher preference of immediate options. However, the neural substrates of decision-making in MS are poorly known.
Goal: To map the structural connectivity that supports the decision-making process in patients with MS.
Methods: We analyzed a crossectional cohort of 74 MS patients (age: 43.3±9.4 years; disease duration: 10.9±6.8 years; Expanded Disability Status Scale: 1.5 (0-7.5)), and 9 healthy controls (HC). All participants underwent a magnetic resonance session with high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) and 3D-structural sequences. Grey matter (GM) regions from prefrontal, parietal, cingulate, insula and deep GM associated with decision-making process were selected a priori as nodes of the network and connections were reconstructed through probabilistic tractography in HC. Then, a mask of the network was applied to the patients and the fractional anisotropy (FA) for each connection was calculated. Decision-making was assessed using the risk task and the temporal discounting task (delay of gratification) and we recorded the reaction time (RT) for each task.
Results: Reduced FA in the decision-making network was correlated with higher risk aversion, especially in connections involving left striatum (r=0.30 to 0.51, p< 0.01) and with increased higher preference of immediate rewards in connections from right insula and amygdala (r=-0.32, p< 0.01). Also, decreased FA correlated with lower RT in several network links, including connections from left anterior cingulate and right ventromedial prefrontal cortex (r=-0.30 to -0.41 for correlations with risk task RT, r=-0.30 to -0.62 for correlations with temporal discounting task RT, p< 0.01).
Conclusions: Damage of the structural connectome supporting the decision-making process, preferentially in connections from deep grey matter, influence the choice behaviour in MS patients. Differential connections in the network are involved in higher risk aversion and preference of immediate rewards.
Disclosure:
DL, EMH, MA, BFD and PG declare nothing to disclose.
SL received speaker honoraria from Biogen Idec, Novartis, Teva, Genzyme and Merck, and research support from a Juan Rodes grant from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (JR14/00016) and the Spanish Government (PI15/00587).
ES received travel reimbursement from TEVA.
MS received speaker honoraria from Genzyme and Novartis, and funding from the Generalitat de Catalunya (SLT002/16/00354).
EML received speaking honoraria from Biogen, Genzyme and Novartis, travel reimbursement from Roche, Sanofi-Genzyme and TEVA, and funding from the Spanish Government (Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CM13/00150; MV15/00012; JR16/00006), Fundació Marató TV3 (20142030), GMSI (2016) and the Fundació Cellex Barcelona
AS received compensation for consulting services and speaker honoraria from Bayer-Schering, Merck-Serono, Biogen-Idec, Sanofi-Aventis, TEVA and Novartis, and funding from the Spanish Government (PI15/00587, RD16/0015/0002, RD16/0015/0003, RD12/0032/0002, RD12/0060/01-02).
PV has received compensation for consulting services from Novartis, Biogen, Roche and Genzyme, received unrestricted research grant from Novartis, Biogen and Genzyme, hold stocks in Bionure Inc, Spire Bioventures, Mint-Labs and Health Engineering and is academic editor of Multiple Sclerosis and Demyelinating Diseases. He receives funding from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain, and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) (PI15/0061) CERCA Programme / Generalitat de Catalunya.
Funding: This work was supported by Fundacion Genzyme, Spain, and by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI15/0061 and RED15/0016), Spain (supported by FEDER funds). E.M-L is recipient of a Juan Rodes grant from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CM13/00150).
Abstract: P555
Type: Poster
Abstract Category: Pathology and pathogenesis of MS - 21 Imaging
Background: Decision-making refers to the process by which a person chooses its actions, and neuroeconomics analyse the neural basis of choices. Choice behaviour in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is slower and characterized by higher risk aversion and a tendency for higher preference of immediate options. However, the neural substrates of decision-making in MS are poorly known.
Goal: To map the structural connectivity that supports the decision-making process in patients with MS.
Methods: We analyzed a crossectional cohort of 74 MS patients (age: 43.3±9.4 years; disease duration: 10.9±6.8 years; Expanded Disability Status Scale: 1.5 (0-7.5)), and 9 healthy controls (HC). All participants underwent a magnetic resonance session with high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) and 3D-structural sequences. Grey matter (GM) regions from prefrontal, parietal, cingulate, insula and deep GM associated with decision-making process were selected a priori as nodes of the network and connections were reconstructed through probabilistic tractography in HC. Then, a mask of the network was applied to the patients and the fractional anisotropy (FA) for each connection was calculated. Decision-making was assessed using the risk task and the temporal discounting task (delay of gratification) and we recorded the reaction time (RT) for each task.
Results: Reduced FA in the decision-making network was correlated with higher risk aversion, especially in connections involving left striatum (r=0.30 to 0.51, p< 0.01) and with increased higher preference of immediate rewards in connections from right insula and amygdala (r=-0.32, p< 0.01). Also, decreased FA correlated with lower RT in several network links, including connections from left anterior cingulate and right ventromedial prefrontal cortex (r=-0.30 to -0.41 for correlations with risk task RT, r=-0.30 to -0.62 for correlations with temporal discounting task RT, p< 0.01).
Conclusions: Damage of the structural connectome supporting the decision-making process, preferentially in connections from deep grey matter, influence the choice behaviour in MS patients. Differential connections in the network are involved in higher risk aversion and preference of immediate rewards.
Disclosure:
DL, EMH, MA, BFD and PG declare nothing to disclose.
SL received speaker honoraria from Biogen Idec, Novartis, Teva, Genzyme and Merck, and research support from a Juan Rodes grant from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (JR14/00016) and the Spanish Government (PI15/00587).
ES received travel reimbursement from TEVA.
MS received speaker honoraria from Genzyme and Novartis, and funding from the Generalitat de Catalunya (SLT002/16/00354).
EML received speaking honoraria from Biogen, Genzyme and Novartis, travel reimbursement from Roche, Sanofi-Genzyme and TEVA, and funding from the Spanish Government (Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CM13/00150; MV15/00012; JR16/00006), Fundació Marató TV3 (20142030), GMSI (2016) and the Fundació Cellex Barcelona
AS received compensation for consulting services and speaker honoraria from Bayer-Schering, Merck-Serono, Biogen-Idec, Sanofi-Aventis, TEVA and Novartis, and funding from the Spanish Government (PI15/00587, RD16/0015/0002, RD16/0015/0003, RD12/0032/0002, RD12/0060/01-02).
PV has received compensation for consulting services from Novartis, Biogen, Roche and Genzyme, received unrestricted research grant from Novartis, Biogen and Genzyme, hold stocks in Bionure Inc, Spire Bioventures, Mint-Labs and Health Engineering and is academic editor of Multiple Sclerosis and Demyelinating Diseases. He receives funding from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain, and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) (PI15/0061) CERCA Programme / Generalitat de Catalunya.
Funding: This work was supported by Fundacion Genzyme, Spain, and by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI15/0061 and RED15/0016), Spain (supported by FEDER funds). E.M-L is recipient of a Juan Rodes grant from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CM13/00150).