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Forceps minor damage and co-occurrence of depression and fatigue in multiple sclerosis

C Gobbi1, M A Rocca2, E Pagani3

  • 1Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Italy/Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, Civic Hospital, Switzerland.

Multiple Sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)
|April 18, 2014
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Diffusion tensor MRI reveals white matter damage in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with depression and fatigue. Specifically, forceps minor, anterior thalamic radiation, and uncinate fasciculus alterations correlate with these symptoms.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroimaging
  • Neurology
  • Medical Research

Background:

  • Multiple Sclerosis (MS) frequently co-occurs with depression and fatigue.
  • The underlying structural brain changes associated with these comorbidities are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the white matter (WM) structural integrity in MS patients using diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT MRI).
  • To identify specific WM substrates associated with the presence of depression and fatigue in MS.

Main Methods:

  • Acquired DT MRI, 3D T1-weighted, and dual-echo scans from 147 MS patients and 90 healthy controls (HCs).
  • Stratified patients based on depression and fatigue status, including those with co-occurring symptoms (DF).
  • Utilized tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) for whole-brain voxel-wise WM analysis and tract-specific analyses.

Main Results:

  • Whole-brain analysis showed no significant differences between patient subgroups.
  • Tract-specific analysis revealed reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) in the forceps minor in DF patients.
  • Fatigued MS patients (F-MS) exhibited reduced FA in the right anterior thalamic radiation and right uncinate fasciculus compared to non-fatigued MS patients, after accounting for depression.

Conclusions:

  • Findings suggest partially overlapping WM damage in frontal and fronto-temporal pathways contributes to depression and fatigue in MS.
  • DT MRI can identify specific white matter microstructural alterations linked to these common MS comorbidities.
Keywords:
Multiple sclerosisdepressiondiffusion tensor magnetic resonance imagingfatigueforceps minorregional damage

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