Thalamic shape abnormalities in patients with multiple sclerosis-related fatigue

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Radiology
• Neurology

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis-related fatigue (MSrF) significantly impacts patient quality of life.
• The thalamus is implicated in MSrF, but specific subregions involved remain unclear.
• Thalamic heterogeneity necessitates detailed analysis for understanding MSrF pathogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To precisely localize thalamic abnormalities associated with MSrF using shape analysis.
• To investigate correlations between thalamic surface deviations and fatigue severity in MS patients.
• To identify specific thalamic subregions linked to cognitive, physical, and psychosocial fatigue domains.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 42 patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS).
• Assessed fatigue severity using the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale.
• Employed automated T1w image analysis for thalamic shape extraction and surface deviation assessment.

Main Results:

• A significant correlation was found between cognitive fatigue and inward deformity of the left anteromedial thalamic surface.
• No other localized thalamic shape deviations correlated with global, physical, or psychosocial fatigue.
• Findings highlight the left anteromedial thalamus's specific role in cognitive fatigue.

Conclusions:

• The left anteromedial thalamus is implicated in cognitive fatigue in MS patients.
• This subregion's involvement may relate to its functions in reward processing, cognition, and executive functions.
• Thalamic shape analysis offers a detailed approach to understanding MSrF pathophysiology.