White Matter Damage in Multiple Sclerosis Disproportionately Targets Default Mode, Executive Control, and Salience
Teresa D Figley1,2,3,4, Jennifer Kornelsen1,2,3,4, Md Nasir Uddin1,2,3
1Department of Radiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3A 1R9, Canada.
Summary
Multiple sclerosis disproportionately damages white matter in key brain networks like the Default Mode, Executive Control, and Salience Networks. This study reveals higher lesion concentrations and diffuse damage in these specific networks in persons with MS compared to controls.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
- Neurology
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disorder impacting brain networks.
- Previous research has characterized functional changes in MS networks, but structural damage within specific networks relative to global white matter remains underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate white matter integrity within six intrinsic brain networks (Default Mode, Executive Control, Salience) in persons with MS (pwMS) compared to healthy controls (HCs).
- To determine if MS white matter lesions are disproportionately prevalent in these networks.
- To quantify microstructural degradation and assess if network degradation exceeds global white matter differences.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of white matter lesion maps, global white matter masks, and diffusion MRI data from 104 pwMS and 100 HCs.
- Utilized the UManitoba-JHU Functionally-Defined Human White Matter Atlases.
- Employed parametric t-tests and non-parametric Wilcoxon tests for statistical analysis.
Main Results:
- 4 out of 6 investigated white matter networks showed disproportionately high lesion volumes in pwMS.
- All 6 networks exhibited reduced microstructure in pwMS compared to HCs.
- Even after controlling for global white matter, 5 out of 6 networks showed disproportionately reduced tissue microstructure in pwMS.
Conclusions:
- Multiple sclerosis disproportionately affects white matter structural connections underpinning intrinsic brain networks.
- The Default Mode, Executive Control, and Salience Networks are particularly vulnerable to both focal lesions and diffuse white matter damage in MS.
- Findings highlight the network-specific vulnerability in MS pathology.
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