Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://doi.org/10.25358/openscience-4948
Authors: Fleischer, Vinzenz
Muthuraman, Muthuraman
Anwar, Abdul Rauf
Gonzalez-Escamilla, Gabriel
Radetz, Angela
Gracien, René-Maxime
Bittner, Stefan
Lüssi, Felix
Meuth, Sven G.
Zipp, Frauke
Groppa, Sergiu
Title: Continuous reorganization of cortical information flow in multiple sclerosis : a longitudinal fMRI effective connectivity study
Online publication date: 29-Jun-2020
Year of first publication: 2020
Language: english
Abstract: Effective connectivity (EC) is able to explore causal effects between brain areas and can depict mechanisms that underlie repair and adaptation in chronic brain diseases. Thus, the application of EC techniques in multiple sclerosis (MS) has the potential to determine directionality of neuronal interactions and may provide an imaging biomarker for disease progression. Here, serial longitudinal structural and resting-state fMRI was performed at 12-week intervals over one year in twelve MS patients. Twelve healthy subjects served as controls (HC). Two approaches for EC quantification were used: Causal Bayesian Network (CBN) and Time-resolved Partial Directed Coherence (TPDC). The EC strength was correlated with the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and Fatigue Scale for Motor and Cognitive functions (FSMC). Our findings demonstrated a longitudinal increase in EC between specific brain regions, detected in both the CBN and TPDC analysis in MS patients. In particular, EC from the deep grey matter, frontal, prefrontal and temporal regions showed a continuous increase over the study period. No longitudinal changes in EC were attested in HC during the study. Furthermore, we observed an association between clinical performance and EC strength. In particular, the EC increase in fronto-cerebellar connections showed an inverse correlation with the EDSS and FSMC. Our data depict continuous functional reorganization between specific brain regions indicated by increasing EC over time in MS, which is not detectable in HC. In particular, fronto-cerebellar connections, which were closely related to clinical performance, may provide a marker of brain plasticity and functional reserve in MS.
DDC: 610 Medizin
610 Medical sciences
Institution: Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
Department: FB 04 Medizin
Place: Mainz
ROR: https://ror.org/023b0x485
DOI: http://doi.org/10.25358/openscience-4948
Version: Published version
Publication type: Zeitschriftenaufsatz
License: CC BY
Information on rights of use: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Journal: Scientific reports
10
Pages or article number: Art. 806
Publisher: Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature
Publisher place: London
Issue date: 2020
ISSN: 2045-2322
Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-57895-x
Publisher DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-57895-x
Appears in collections:JGU-Publikationen

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