Related Experiment Videos
Evidence for adaptive functional changes in the cerebral cortex with axonal injury from multiple sclerosis
H Reddy1, S Narayanan, R Arnoutelis
1Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain, Department of Clinical Neurology, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK.
Brain : a Journal of Neurology
|October 26, 2000
Summary
Multiple sclerosis patients with normal hand function show increased brain activity. This compensatory brain response correlates with axonal injury, suggesting therapies promoting brain reorganization could aid recovery.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Radiology
Background:
- Axonal injury is an early hallmark of multiple sclerosis (MS), detectable via N-acetylaspartate (NAA) levels.
- This injury can occur without apparent functional deficits, indicating potential compensatory mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if cortical adaptive responses maintain motor function in MS patients.
- To explore the relationship between brain activity, axonal integrity, and motor function in early MS.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging (MRSI) to measure brain NAA levels.
- Employed functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to assess sensorimotor cortex activation during hand movements.
- Compared nine MS patients with unimpaired hand function to eight healthy controls.
Main Results:
- MS patients exhibited a fivefold increase in ipsilateral sensorimotor cortex activation compared to controls.
- Increased cortical activation strongly correlated with decreased brain NAA levels (sigma = -0.93, P = 0.001).
Conclusions:
- Compensatory cortical reorganization may preserve motor function in early MS.
- Findings suggest therapies promoting cortical plasticity could improve recovery from MS relapses.
- The relationship between MRI-detected lesions and clinical disability may be influenced by adaptive brain responses.