Contributions
Abstract: P617
Type: Poster
Abstract Category: Pathology and pathogenesis of MS - 24 Neuropsychology
Introduction: Although role of subcortical gray matter (GM) structures such as thalamus and hippocampus in cognitive performance in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients has been previously demonstrated, influence of basal ganglia has not been fully addressed. Very little is known about the independent contribution of basal ganglia structural and functional abnormalities to cognitive impairment in MS.
Objective: We aimed to examine specific basal ganglia volume and functional connectivity (FC) changes in two groups of MS patients according to their cognitive status.
Methods: Basal ganglia volume and FC changes were compared in 36 relapsing-remitting (RR) MS patients and 18 Healthy Controls (HC). MS patients were classified as cognitive preserved (CP, n=18) and cognitive impaired (CI, n=18) according to their scores in Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests, (BRB-N). Basal ganglia atrophy was assessed through VBM 8 while FC was assessed with resting-state seed-based analysis. All results were presented at whole brain level and FWE cluster corrected.
Results: A widespread reduction of GM volume was found in MS patients compared to HC, especially in CI subgroup. Compared to CP, CI patient showed a significant GM reduction in two clusters corresponding to bilateral basal ganglia (left cluster size: 1146 voxels, MNI coordinates: -30 -17 -3; right cluster size: 1329 voxels, MNI coordinates: 30 3 -6). Neuropsychological global z score was correlated with left putamen (r = 0.44 p< 0.001), right putamen (r = 0.43 p< 0.001) and right caudate (r = 0.42 p< 0.001) volumes in patients group. Furthermore, seed-based FC analysis showed enhanced connectivity in CI patients between right caudate and bilateral medial orbitofrontal cortex (cluster size: 34 voxels, MNI coordinates 3 57 -3), which was also inversely correlated with global z score (r=-0.66 p< 0.001).
Conclusions: Cognitive impairment in MS patients is related with GM and FC abnormalities in basal ganglia.
Disclosure: Álvaro Javier Cruz Gómez: nothing to disclose
Naiara Aguirre: nothing to disclose
Ricardo Broseta Torres: nothing to disclose
César Ávila: nothing to disclose
Cristina Forn: nothing to disclose
Abstract: P617
Type: Poster
Abstract Category: Pathology and pathogenesis of MS - 24 Neuropsychology
Introduction: Although role of subcortical gray matter (GM) structures such as thalamus and hippocampus in cognitive performance in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients has been previously demonstrated, influence of basal ganglia has not been fully addressed. Very little is known about the independent contribution of basal ganglia structural and functional abnormalities to cognitive impairment in MS.
Objective: We aimed to examine specific basal ganglia volume and functional connectivity (FC) changes in two groups of MS patients according to their cognitive status.
Methods: Basal ganglia volume and FC changes were compared in 36 relapsing-remitting (RR) MS patients and 18 Healthy Controls (HC). MS patients were classified as cognitive preserved (CP, n=18) and cognitive impaired (CI, n=18) according to their scores in Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests, (BRB-N). Basal ganglia atrophy was assessed through VBM 8 while FC was assessed with resting-state seed-based analysis. All results were presented at whole brain level and FWE cluster corrected.
Results: A widespread reduction of GM volume was found in MS patients compared to HC, especially in CI subgroup. Compared to CP, CI patient showed a significant GM reduction in two clusters corresponding to bilateral basal ganglia (left cluster size: 1146 voxels, MNI coordinates: -30 -17 -3; right cluster size: 1329 voxels, MNI coordinates: 30 3 -6). Neuropsychological global z score was correlated with left putamen (r = 0.44 p< 0.001), right putamen (r = 0.43 p< 0.001) and right caudate (r = 0.42 p< 0.001) volumes in patients group. Furthermore, seed-based FC analysis showed enhanced connectivity in CI patients between right caudate and bilateral medial orbitofrontal cortex (cluster size: 34 voxels, MNI coordinates 3 57 -3), which was also inversely correlated with global z score (r=-0.66 p< 0.001).
Conclusions: Cognitive impairment in MS patients is related with GM and FC abnormalities in basal ganglia.
Disclosure: Álvaro Javier Cruz Gómez: nothing to disclose
Naiara Aguirre: nothing to disclose
Ricardo Broseta Torres: nothing to disclose
César Ávila: nothing to disclose
Cristina Forn: nothing to disclose