The link between resting-state functional connectivity and cognition in MS patients

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Medical Imaging
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease affecting cognitive function.
• Resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) analysis reveals brain network alterations.
• Cognitive impairment is a significant challenge in MS patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate differences in RSFC between cognitively impaired and preserved MS patients.
• To explore the relationship between cognitive status, RSFC, and radiological markers in MS.

Main Methods:

• Sixty MS patients and 18 controls underwent neuropsychological testing (Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests).
• Patients were classified as cognitively impaired or preserved based on global Z scores.
• Independent component analysis of resting-state fMRI data assessed functional connectivity in cognitive networks (default mode, frontoparietal, salience).

Main Results:

• Cognitively impaired MS patients showed significantly reduced functional connectivity in all assessed resting-state networks (RSNs) compared to preserved patients and controls.
• Cognitively preserved MS patients exhibited reduced connectivity in the left frontoparietal network compared to healthy controls.
• Global cognitive scores correlated positively with brain parenchymal fraction and negatively with lesion volume.

Conclusions:

• Reduced cognitive performance in MS is associated with diminished resting-state functional connectivity.
• Brain damage, including lesion load and brain volume loss, is directly linked to cognitive decline.
• RSFC is a promising biomarker for monitoring and predicting cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis.