Gomez, C;
Kanber, B;
Eshaghi, A;
Altmann, DR;
Khaleeli, Z;
Prados Carrasco, F;
Ourselin, S;
... Ciccarelli, O; + view all
(2020)
Clinical relevance of cortical network dynamics in early primary progressive MS.
Multiple Sclerosis Journal
, 26
(4)
pp. 442-456.
10.1177/1352458519831400.
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Abstract
Background: Structural cortical networks (SCNs) reflect the covariance between the cortical thickness of different brain regions, which may share common functions and a common developmental evolution. SCNs appear abnormal in neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, but have never been assessed in primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). / Objective: To test whether SCNs are abnormal in early PPMS and change over five years, and correlate with disability worsening. / Methods: Twenty-nine PPMS patients and 13 healthy controls underwent clinical and brain MRI assessments for five years. Baseline and five-year follow-up cortical thickness values were obtained and used to build correlation matrices, considered as weighted graphs to obtain network metrics. Bootstrap-based statistics assessed SCN differences between patients and controls and between patients with fast and slow progression. / Results: At baseline, patients showed features of lower connectivity (p=0.02) and efficiency (p<0.001) than controls. Over five years, patients, especially those with fastest clinical progression, showed significant changes suggesting an increase in network connectivity (p<0.001) and efficiency (p<0.02), not observed in controls. / Conclusion: SCNs are abnormal in early PPMS. Longitudinal SCN changes demonstrated a switch from low- to high-efficiency networks especially among fast progressors, indicating their clinical relevance.




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