Gray Matter Morphometry Correlates with Attentional Efficiency in Young-Adult Multiple Sclerosis

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neurology
• Radiology

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is frequently associated with attention deficits.
• These attention impairments are often measured using the Attention Network Test-Interactions (ANT-I).
• The neuroanatomical basis of these attention deficits in MS, particularly gray matter changes, remains poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate vertex-wise cortical thickness and deep gray matter volume changes in young adults with early-stage MS.
• To examine the association between these gray matter changes and ANT-I performance.

Main Methods:

• Compared gray matter (cortical thickness and deep gray matter volumes) and ANT-I performance between young MS participants (N=21) and healthy volunteers (N=19).
• Utilized vertex-wise analysis for cortical thickness and volumetric analysis for deep gray matter structures.
• Correlated ANT-I performance metrics with specific gray matter volume and thickness measures.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in ANT-I scores or overall cortical thickness were found between MS participants and controls.
• MS participants showed significantly reduced thalamic volumes compared to controls.
• Slowed reaction times on the alerting component correlated with reduced right pallidum volume.
• Slowed reaction times on the executive control component correlated with reduced frontal, parietal, and visual cortical thickness, and reduced left putamen volume.

Conclusions:

• Gray matter changes, specifically reduced thalamic volume, are present in young adults with early MS.
• Alterations in specific deep gray matter structures (pallidum, putamen) and cortical thickness are associated with attentional deficits in MS.
• These findings highlight the link between neuroanatomical changes and attention network performance, even in mild or early-stage MS, without widespread atrophy.