Changes of brain resting state functional connectivity predict the persistence of cognitive rehabilitation effects in patients with multiple sclerosis

Objective: We investigated whether the efficacy of 12-week cognitive rehabilitation in MS patients persists six months after treatment termination and, together with resting state (RS) functional connectivity (FC), changes on neuropsychological performance at follow-up. Methods: Eighteen MS patients with cognitive deficits, assigned randomly either to undergo treatment ( n=9) or not ( n=9), underwent neuropsychological evaluation at baseline (t0), after 12 weeks of rehabilitation (t1) and at six-month follow-up (t2). RS fMRI was obtained at t0 and t1. Changes in neuropsychological performance and their correlations with RS FC modifications were assessed using longitudinal linear models. Results: At t2 vs. t0, compared with the control group, treated group patients improved in tests of attention, executive function, depression and quality of life (QoL). Neuropsychological scores in these tests at t2 were significantly correlated with RS FC changes in cognitive-related networks and RS FC of the anterior cingulum. RS FC changes in the default mode network predicted cognitive performance and less severe depression, whereas RS FC changes of the executive network predicted better QoL. Discussion: Changes in RS FC of cognitive-related networks helps to explain the persistence of the effects of cognitive rehabilitation after several months in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis patients and their improvement on depression and QoL scales.

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Migraine in Multiple Sclerosis Patients Affects Functional Connectivity of the Brain Circuitry Involved in Pain Processing

Frontiers in Neurology ◽

10.3389/fneur.2021.690300 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Emanuele Pravatà ◽

Gianna C. Riccitelli ◽

Carlo Sestieri ◽

Rosaria Sacco ◽

Alessandro Cianfoni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Pain Perception ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Daily Activities ◽

Control Group ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Brain Circuitry ◽

Multiple Sclerosis Patients ◽

The Brain

Migraine is particularly common in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and has been linked to the dysfunction of the brain circuitry modulating the peripheral nociceptive stimuli. Using MRI, we explored whether changes in the resting state-functional connectivity (RS-FC) may characterize the occurrence of migraine in patients with MS. The RS-FC characteristics in concerned brain regions were explored in 20 MS patients with migraine (MS+M) during the interictal phase, and compared with 19 MS patients without migraine (MS-M), which served as a control group. Functional differences were correlated to the frequency and severity of previous migraine attacks, and with the resulting impact on daily activities. In MS+M, the loss of periaqueductal gray matter (PAG) positive connectivity with the default mode network and the left posterior cranial pons was associated with an increase of migraine attacks frequency. In contrast, the loss of PAG negative connectivity with sensorimotor and visual network was linked to migraine symptom severity and related daily activities impact. Finally, a PAG negative connection was established with the prefrontal executive control network. Migraine in MS+M patients and its impact on daily activities, underlies RS-FC rearrangements between brain regions involved in pain perception and modulation.

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Multiple Sclerosis: Changes in Thalamic Resting-State Functional Connectivity Induced by a Home-based Cognitive Rehabilitation Program

Radiology ◽

10.1148/radiol.2016150710 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 280 (1) ◽

pp. 202-211 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Laura De Giglio ◽

Francesca Tona ◽

Francesca De Luca ◽

Nikolaos Petsas ◽

Luca Prosperini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Resting State ◽

Cognitive Rehabilitation ◽

Rehabilitation Program ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Home Based

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Classifying minimally disabled multiple sclerosis patients from resting state functional connectivity

NeuroImage ◽

10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.05.078 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 62 (3) ◽

pp. 2021-2033 ◽

Cited By ~ 63

Author(s):

Jonas Richiardi ◽

Markus Gschwind ◽

Samanta Simioni ◽

Jean-Marie Annoni ◽

Beatrice Greco ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Functional Connectivity ◽

Resting State ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Multiple Sclerosis Patients

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Clinical correlates of hypothalamic functional changes in migraine patients

Cephalalgia ◽

10.1177/03331024211046618 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 033310242110466

Author(s):

Roberta Messina ◽

Maria A Rocca ◽

Paola Valsasina ◽

Paolo Misci ◽

Massimo Filippi

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Resting State ◽

Visual Processing ◽

Episodic Migraine ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Functional Interaction ◽

Functional Changes ◽

Lingual Gyrus ◽

Headache Impact

Objective To elucidate the hypothalamic involvement in episodic migraine and investigate the association between hypothalamic resting state functional connectivity changes and migraine patients’ clinical characteristics and disease progression over the years. Methods Ninety-one patients with episodic migraine and 73 controls underwent interictal resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Twenty-three patients and controls were re-examined after a median of 4.5 years. Hypothalamic resting state functional connectivity changes were investigated using a seed-based correlation approach. Results At baseline, a decreased functional interaction between the hypothalamus and the parahippocampus, cerebellum, temporal, lingual and orbitofrontal gyrus was found in migraine patients versus controls. Increased resting state functional connectivity between the hypothalamus and bilateral orbitofrontal gyrus was demonstrated in migraine patients at follow-up versus baseline. Migraine patients also experienced decreased right hypothalamic resting state functional connectivity with ipsilateral lingual gyrus. A higher migraine attack frequency was associated with decreased hypothalamic-lingual gyrus resting state functional connectivity at baseline, while greater headache impact at follow-up correlated with decreased hypothalamic-orbitofrontal gyrus resting state functional connectivity at baseline. At follow-up, a lower frequency of migraine attacks was associated with higher hypothalamic-orbitofrontal gyrus resting state functional connectivity. Conclusions During the interictal phase, the hypothalamus modulates the activity of pain and visual processing areas in episodic migraine patients. The hypothalamic-cortical interplay changes dynamically over time according to patients’ clinical features.

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Fatigue, mood and quality of life improve in MS patients after progressive resistance training

Multiple Sclerosis Journal ◽

10.1177/1352458509360040 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. 480-490 ◽

Cited By ~ 129

Author(s):

U. Dalgas ◽

E. Stenager ◽

J. Jakobsen ◽

T. Petersen ◽

HJ Hansen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Resistance Training ◽

Beneficial Effect ◽

Control Group ◽

Progressive Resistance Training ◽

Multiple Sclerosis Patients ◽

Progressive Resistance

Fatigue occurs in the majority of multiple sclerosis patients and therapeutic possibilities are few. Fatigue, mood and quality of life were studied in patients with multiple sclerosis following progressive resistance training leading to improvement of muscular strength and functional capacity. Fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale, FSS), mood (Major Depression Inventory, MDI) and quality of life (physical and mental component scores, PCS and MCS, of SF36) were scored at start, end and follow-up of a randomized controlled clinical trial of 12 weeks of progressive resistance training in moderately disabled (Expanded Disability Status Scale, EDSS: 3—5.5) multiple sclerosis patients including a Control group ( n = 15) and an Exercise group ( n = 16). Fatigue (FSS > 4) was present in all patients. Scores of FSS, MDI, PCS—SF36 and MCS—SF36 were comparable at start of study in the two groups. Fatigue improved during exercise by —0.6 (95% confidence interval (CI) —1.4 to 0.4) a.u. vs. 0.1 (95% CI —0.4 to 0.6) a.u. in controls ( p = 0.04), mood improved by —2.4 (95% CI —4.1 to 0.7) a.u. vs. 1.1 (—1.2 to 3.4) a.u. in controls ( p = 0.01) and quality of life (PCS—SF36) improved by 3.5 (95% CI 1.4—5.7) a.u. vs. —1.0 (95% CI —3.4—1.4) a.u. in controls ( p = 0.01). The beneficial effect of progressive resistance training on all scores was maintained at follow-up after further 12 weeks. Fatigue, mood and quality of life all improved following progressive resistance training, the beneficial effect being maintained for at least 12 weeks after end of intervention.

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Motor Sequences - Separating The Sequence From The Motor. A longitudinal rsfMRI Study

10.1101/2021.02.09.430495 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

ATP Jäger ◽

JM Huntenburg ◽

SA Tremblay ◽

U Schneider ◽

S Grahl ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Functional Connectivity ◽

Motor Learning ◽

Resting State ◽

Primary Motor Cortex ◽

Control Group ◽

Motor Execution ◽

Motor Sequence ◽

Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽

Fast Learning ◽

Slow Learning

AbstractIn motor learning, sequence-specificity, i.e. the learning of specific sequential associations, has predominantly been studied using task-based fMRI paradigms. However, offline changes in resting state functional connectivity after sequence-specific motor learning are less well understood. Previous research has established that plastic changes following motor learning can be divided into stages including fast learning, slow learning and retention. A description of how resting state functional connectivity after sequence-specific motor sequence learning (MSL) develops across these stages is missing. This study aimed to identify plastic alterations in whole-brain functional connectivity after learning a complex motor sequence by contrasting an active group who learned a complex sequence with a control group who performed a control task matched for motor execution. Resting state fMRI and behavioural performance were collected in both groups over the course of 5 consecutive training days and at follow-up after 12 days to encompass fast learning, slow learning, overall learning and retention. Between-group interaction analyses showed sequence-specific increases in functional connectivity during fast learning in the sensorimotor territory of the internal segment of right globus pallidus (GPi), and sequence-specific decreases in right supplementary motor area (SMA) in overall learning. We found that connectivity changes in key regions of the motor network including the superior parietal cortex (SPC) and primary motor cortex (M1) were not a result of sequence-specific learning but were instead linked to motor execution. Our study confirms the sequence-specific role of SMA and GPi that has previously been identified in online task-based learning studies in humans and primates, and extends it to resting state network changes after sequence-specific MSL. Finally, our results shed light on a timing-specific plasticity mechanism between GPi and SMA following MSL.

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