Abstract: EP1538
Type: Poster Sessions
Abstract Category: Pathology and pathogenesis of MS - Neuropsychology
Introduction: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a source of disability and cognitive declining in young patients. Social cognition and its subcomponents, Social Perception and Theory of the Mind, have focused an increasing interest. Nevertheless, the definition of a specific pattern of socio-cognitive impairment and the underlying structural and functional correlates remain undefined.
Objective: To better understand the underlying structural and functional correlates of Social Cognition impairment in MS.
Methods: Relapsing-remitting (RR) MS patients and healthy controls underwent a full neuropsychological evaluation including traditional domains and Social Cognition tasks. Structural and functional Magnetic Resonance Images (MRI) were acquired in a 3T scanner. Volumetric analysis included SIENA and Voxel-Based Morphometry, while functional included resting state analysis. Correlations between neuropsychological performance, structural and functional MRI were assessed.
Results: We recruited 118 Subjects (50 Healthy Controls and 68 RR-MS Patients) obtaining a young sample (37,43 + 11,2 years old vs. 37,97 + 10,76 years in control group, p-value=0,765), with a short disease duration (Median 4,5 years), and higher functional, educational and job status. This was also a low disability sample. Even in the absence of significant traditional cognitive impairment, lower performance in social cognition tasks was observed among patients. The structural analysis has shown regional compromise of areas as Insula, Caudate, Cingulate and Medial Frontal Gyrus, also correlated with performance in the considered tasks. On the other hand, the same areas found in structural analysis exhibit functional changes in patients, showing both increase and decrease in functional connectivity, representing facilitated and impaired information flow between relevant cortices.
Conclusion: Social Cognition exhibits a specific pattern of impairment since earliest stages of the disease even when physical or cognitive disability is absent. It appears to be related to the preferential structural compromise of cortical areas strongly involved in the processing of social information. Functional findings support this notion by reflecting the altered flow of information from socially relevant nodes to the entire brain. Also, our results are compatible with the principles of neural compensation as observed in different cases of brain damage.
Disclosure: Tomás P Labbé nothing to disclose
Mariana Zurita nothing to disclose
Cristian Montalba nothing to disclose
Ethel Ciampi nothing to disclose
Juan Pablo Cruz nothing to disclose
Reinaldo Uribe-San Martin nothing to disclose
Macarena Vásquez nothing to disclose
Sergio Uribe nothing to disclose
Nicolás Crossley nothing to disclose
Claudia Cárcamo nothing to disclose
Abstract: EP1538
Type: Poster Sessions
Abstract Category: Pathology and pathogenesis of MS - Neuropsychology
Introduction: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a source of disability and cognitive declining in young patients. Social cognition and its subcomponents, Social Perception and Theory of the Mind, have focused an increasing interest. Nevertheless, the definition of a specific pattern of socio-cognitive impairment and the underlying structural and functional correlates remain undefined.
Objective: To better understand the underlying structural and functional correlates of Social Cognition impairment in MS.
Methods: Relapsing-remitting (RR) MS patients and healthy controls underwent a full neuropsychological evaluation including traditional domains and Social Cognition tasks. Structural and functional Magnetic Resonance Images (MRI) were acquired in a 3T scanner. Volumetric analysis included SIENA and Voxel-Based Morphometry, while functional included resting state analysis. Correlations between neuropsychological performance, structural and functional MRI were assessed.
Results: We recruited 118 Subjects (50 Healthy Controls and 68 RR-MS Patients) obtaining a young sample (37,43 + 11,2 years old vs. 37,97 + 10,76 years in control group, p-value=0,765), with a short disease duration (Median 4,5 years), and higher functional, educational and job status. This was also a low disability sample. Even in the absence of significant traditional cognitive impairment, lower performance in social cognition tasks was observed among patients. The structural analysis has shown regional compromise of areas as Insula, Caudate, Cingulate and Medial Frontal Gyrus, also correlated with performance in the considered tasks. On the other hand, the same areas found in structural analysis exhibit functional changes in patients, showing both increase and decrease in functional connectivity, representing facilitated and impaired information flow between relevant cortices.
Conclusion: Social Cognition exhibits a specific pattern of impairment since earliest stages of the disease even when physical or cognitive disability is absent. It appears to be related to the preferential structural compromise of cortical areas strongly involved in the processing of social information. Functional findings support this notion by reflecting the altered flow of information from socially relevant nodes to the entire brain. Also, our results are compatible with the principles of neural compensation as observed in different cases of brain damage.
Disclosure: Tomás P Labbé nothing to disclose
Mariana Zurita nothing to disclose
Cristian Montalba nothing to disclose
Ethel Ciampi nothing to disclose
Juan Pablo Cruz nothing to disclose
Reinaldo Uribe-San Martin nothing to disclose
Macarena Vásquez nothing to disclose
Sergio Uribe nothing to disclose
Nicolás Crossley nothing to disclose
Claudia Cárcamo nothing to disclose