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Comprehensive Autopsy Program for Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis
Published on: July 19, 2019
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Balance in multiple sclerosis: relationship to central brain regions
Richard L Doty1, Michael R MacGillivray2, Hussam Talab2
1Smell and Taste Center, Department of Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 5 Ravdin Pavilion, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-4823, USA. doty@mail.med.upenn.edu.
Experimental Brain Research
|July 19, 2018
Summary
Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with brain lesions in specific areas show impaired balance. These supratentorial lesions correlate with difficulties in motor control and sensory integration, impacting balance.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Dizziness, instability, and ataxia are common in multiple sclerosis (MS), often due to disrupted sensory information processing.
- The specific contribution of supratentorial lesions (lesions above the tentorium cerebelli) to these balance deficits in MS is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between supratentorial lesion volumes and balance impairments in individuals with MS.
- To identify specific brain regions where lesions correlate with quantitative measures of motor control and sensory organization.
Main Methods:
- Compared motor control test (MCT) and dynamic sensory organization test (SOT) scores between 58 MS patients and 72 healthy controls.
- Correlated lesion volumes in 26 brain regions with MCT and SOT scores in 49 MS patients.
Main Results:
- MS patients exhibited longer MCT latencies compared to controls (p < 0.0001).
- MCT latencies and SOT scores correlated with lesion volumes in the cortex, medial and superior frontal lobes, temporal lobes, and parietal opercula.
- Strongest correlations were observed in challenging tasks involving conflicting visual and proprioceptive feedback.
Conclusions:
- Supratentorial lesion volume is significantly associated with quantitative balance deficits in MS patients.
- Balance control in MS relies on integrated multimodal sensory pathways, and lesions in these pathways disrupt balance.
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