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Changes in brain functional connectivity patterns are driven by an individual lesion in MS: a resting-state fMRI
Amgad Droby1,2, Kenneth S L Yuen2, Muthuraman Muthuraman1,2
1Department of Neurology, University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
Brain Imaging and Behavior
|November 11, 2015
Summary
Multiple sclerosis lesions impact brain functional connectivity, showing increased connectivity in some areas as a compensatory mechanism. Acute lesions trigger temporary network changes, suggesting reorganization after initial damage.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neurology
- Systems Neuroscience
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) involves diffuse inflammation impacting brain networks beyond focal lesions.
- The effect of white matter (WM) lesions on brain functional connectivity (FC) in MS remains poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To longitudinally assess the impact of acute and chronic lesions on functional connectivity (FC) in relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients.
- To investigate compensatory mechanisms in the brain following MS-related lesions.
Main Methods:
- Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to collect 45 MRI datasets from 9 RRMS patients over 5 time points.
- Patients were grouped based on the presence (MS+) or absence (MS-) of lesions at MS predilection sites.
Main Results:
- The MS+ group exhibited increased FC in the contralateral cuneus and precuneus, and ipsilateral precuneus (p < 0.01, corrected), suggesting cortical compensation.
- An acute WM lesion in one patient led to increased FC in various brain regions post-relapse, which decreased over time, indicating short-term functional reorganization.
Conclusions:
- Lesion-related network changes in chronic MS likely result from reorganization processes initiated by acute lesions.
- The brain demonstrates adaptive functional reorganization in response to MS-related tissue damage.
