Correlation of cognitive dysfunction and diffusion tensor MRI measures in patients with mild and moderate multiple...

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neurology
• Radiology

Background:

• Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease affecting white matter.
• Cognitive impairment, particularly in processing speed, is a common symptom of MS.
• Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) is a sensitive MRI technique for assessing white matter integrity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare DTI measures between MS patients and healthy controls across all brain voxels.
• To correlate DTI metrics with cognitive function, assessed by the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT).
• To investigate diffusion alterations in relation to MS severity (mild vs. moderate impairment).

Main Methods:

• Voxel-based analysis (VBA) was employed for DTI data processing.
• Key DTI metrics analyzed included fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean, longitudinal, and transverse diffusivity.
• Comparisons were made between healthy controls and MS patient groups (mildly and moderately impaired).

Main Results:

• Significant diffusion differences were identified in various white matter tracts, including the corpus callosum, superior longitudinal fasciculus, and corticospinal tracts.
• Fractional anisotropy (FA) showed significant correlations with PASAT scores in several regions, such as the inferior longitudinal fasciculus, genu of the corpus callosum, and corona radiata.
• These correlations suggest a link between white matter integrity and cognitive performance in MS patients.

Conclusions:

• Mildly impaired MS patients exhibit distinct DTI-based white matter differences compared to healthy controls.
• Specific DTI measures correlate with cognitive decline, indicating potential for DTI in assessing disease impact on parietal, frontal, and temporal white matter.
• DTI may serve as a valuable tool for monitoring disease progression and cognitive status in multiple sclerosis.