Structural abnormalities and altered regional brain activity in multiple sclerosis with simple spinal cord...

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neurology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis with simple spinal cord involvement (MS-SSCI) presents unique diagnostic challenges.
• Understanding the underlying structural and functional brain changes in MS-SSCI is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate structural and functional brain abnormalities in MS-SSCI using multimodal neuroimaging techniques.
• To explore the correlation between these imaging findings and clinical disability.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state functional MRI (RS-fMRI) to assess amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF).
• Voxel-based morphology (VBM) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to evaluate brain structure and white matter integrity.
• Correlation analysis between imaging parameters and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores.

Main Results:

• MS-SSCI patients exhibited decreased ALFF in the hippocampus and right middle temporal gyrus, and increased ALFF in the left middle frontal gyrus, left posterior cingulate gyrus, and right middle occipital gyrus compared to healthy controls.
• Significant reductions in right middle frontal gyrus volume were observed.
• Differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were found in the hippocampus and right middle temporal gyrus.
• A significant correlation was identified between EDSS scores and ALFF in the left posterior cingulate gyrus.

Conclusions:

• Multimodal neuroimaging effectively detects structural and functional abnormalities in MS-SSCI.
• Functional brain alterations are associated with clinical disability in MS-SSCI.
• This study is the first to apply RS-fMRI, VBM, and DTI to characterize MS-SSCI and its correlation with EDSS.