Reduced alpha2 power is associated with slowed information processing speed in multiple sclerosis.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biomarkers
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Cognitive impairment is a significant challenge in multiple sclerosis (MS), affecting daily life and posing assessment difficulties.
• Current assessment methods for MS-related cognitive issues are time-consuming and susceptible to practice effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between alpha band power measured by magnetoencephalography (MEG) and cognitive domains affected in MS.
• To determine if neurophysiological measures add value to conventional MRI in characterizing MS cognitive impairment.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-eight MS patients and 47 healthy controls underwent MEG, MRI (T1 and FLAIR), and neuropsychological testing.
• Quantified alpha power in the occipital cortex (alpha1: 8-10 Hz, alpha2: 10-12 Hz).
• Employed best subset regression to evaluate the predictive value of neurophysiological over MRI measures.

Main Results:

• Alpha2 power significantly correlated with information processing speed (IPS) (p < 0.001) and was consistently included in multilinear models.
• Thalamic volume was retained in 80% of models, while alpha1 power correlated with visual memory (p < 0.001) but was retained in only 38% of models.

Conclusions:

• Resting-state alpha2 (10-12 Hz) power is associated with IPS in MS, independent of standard MRI parameters.
• A multimodal approach combining structural and functional biomarkers is crucial for characterizing MS cognitive impairment.
• Resting-state neurophysiology presents a promising avenue for understanding and monitoring changes in IPS in MS.