Imaging Cerebral Activity in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neurology

Background:

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is increasingly understood to involve widespread cerebral networks, moving beyond traditional neuromuscular pathology.
• Developing effective disease-modifying therapies for ALS is a priority, necessitating robust biomarkers to assess drug efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• This review explores the pathogenic insights gained from using functional MRI (fMRI) and encephalography to study cerebral disease activity in ALS.
• It highlights the role of neuronal oscillations in long-distance cortical communication and their expanded view of brain connectivity.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on neuroimaging techniques in ALS research.
• Focus on functional MRI (fMRI) for assessing cerebral activity and connectivity.
• Inclusion of encephalography to examine neuronal oscillations and dynamic synchronization.

Main Results:

• Neuroimaging, particularly fMRI, complements histopathology in revealing multi-system brain involvement in ALS.
• Neuronal oscillations are recognized for their role in long-distance cortical communication, expanding the understanding of brain connectivity.
• fMRI and encephalography provide unique insights into the dynamic cerebral disease activity in ALS.

Conclusions:

• Functional MRI and encephalography are valuable tools for understanding the complex cerebral pathology of ALS.
• These techniques offer potential for identifying novel biomarkers to track disease progression and evaluate therapeutic interventions.
• A comprehensive view of brain network dynamics is crucial for advancing ALS research and treatment development.