Amsterdam UMC - location VUmc
Anatomy and Neurosciences

Author Of 3 Presentations

Imaging Poster Presentation

P0582 - High resolution functional mapping of upper and lower limb sensorimotor function in minimally disabled people with multiple sclerosis using 7T MRI (ID 1050)

Speakers
Presentation Number
P0582
Presentation Topic
Imaging

Abstract

Background

In multiple sclerosis (MS) upper and lower limbs can be affected, but impairments only moderately relate to each other. Previous motor task studies have focussed predominantly on imaging hand function at clinical field strengths, preventing the detection of subtle changes and differentiation of mechanisms underlying subtle motor impairment.

Objectives

To investigate functional brain changes related to upper and/or lower limb motor task performance in minimally disabled MS patients using ultra-high field MRI.

Methods

Twenty-eight MS patients and seventeen healthy controls underwent visually-guided force-matching fMRI tasks using either hand or foot. Task performance (force error and lag) and activation level during upper and lower limb movements were compared between groups. Correlations were assessed between task activation and behavioural performance.

Results

During lower limb force tracking, MS patients showed significantly (p<0.01) longer lag, higher force error, higher primary motor and premotor cortex activation and lower cerebellar Crus I/II activation, compared to controls. No differences were seen in upper limb performance or activation. Upper and lower limb task performance was related to the level of activation in cerebellar, visual and motor areas in MS patients.

Conclusions

Altered lower limb movements and brain activation with preserved upper limb function and activation in minimally disabled patients suggests partially divergent functional mechanisms underlying upper and lower limb disability.

Collapse
Imaging Poster Presentation

P0626 - Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping at 7 Tesla detects ongoing active lesions in relapse-free RRMS patients (ID 1540)

Abstract

Background

Microglia are iron-rich cells, found surrounding multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions in areas of active inflammation. Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping (QSM) can detect this increased iron and thus could be a novel MRI biomarker for microglia-associated inflammation in the brain. The proportion of patients with active inflammation is currently unknown, as is the proportion of MS lesions seen on conventional MRI sequences that are active across patients. Ultra-high field MRI (7 Tesla +) provides superior signal to noise and susceptibility contrast making it the optimal method for detecting iron in MS lesions and tracking active inflammation.

Objectives

To compare the number of lesions with positive QSM signal indicating active inflammation with lesion size and number in patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) using 7T MRI.

Methods

21 people with RRMS (mean ± SD age = 42 ± 11 yrs; sex: 2m/19f; mean ± SD disease duration = 5.5 ± 3.2 yrs; all EDSS < 4; no relapses in previous 12 months) were scanned using MP2RAGE anatomical and multi-echo gradient echo sequences on a Siemens 7T MAGNETOM MRI scanner. MP2RAGE was used to identify lesions and then co-registered to QSM (calculated from gradient echo phase images using an in-house pipeline). The number of lesions with an average QSM value over 0 (QSM+), indicating the presence of iron associated with active inflammation, were compared to the total number and total volume (log10 transformed) of lesions across patients using linear regression.

Results

The number of lesions in patients ranged from 3 to 92 (mean ± SD = 33 ± 25) and volumes ranged from 26 to 14505 mm3 (mean ± SD = 2554 ± 3445 mm3). Across all patients, the average proportion of QSM+ lesions was 0.61 (95% CI = 0.50-0.72, R2=0.87, p<0.0001), and for each log10 cubic millimeter change in the lesion volume, there were an additional 15 QSM+ lesions (95% CI = 7.0-24, R2=0.43, p=0.0012). There were no associations between the proportion of QSM+ lesions and any disease or demographic variables.

Conclusions

Irrespective of disease severity or duration, the proportion of QSM+ lesions was highly consistent. Based on the assumption that QSM+ lesions are undergoing active inflammation, our results indicate that around ~60% of lesions in RRMS patients could be active.

Collapse
Imaging Poster Presentation

P0640 - Sensorimotor network dynamics predicts loss of upper and lower limb function in people with multiple sclerosis (ID 1048)

Speakers
Presentation Number
P0640
Presentation Topic
Imaging

Abstract

Background

Both upper and lower limb disability is common in multiple sclerosis (MS), but do not always occur together, suggesting partially independent underlying mechanisms. Physical disability strongly relates to brain network disturbances in MS, yet network mechanisms underlying upper and lower disability progression remain unclear.

Objectives

To investigate the relationship between upper and lower limb progression and functional sensorimotor network changes in MS.

Methods

Longitudinal data was included from a prospectively acquired cohort, with baseline data collected between 2008 and 2012 and follow-up assessments between 2014 and 2017. Participants underwent MRI and dexterity (9-Hole Peg Test) and mobility (Timed 25-Foot Walk) tests at baseline and after 5 years. Patients were stratified into progressors (>20% decline) or non-progressors for both tests. Measures of network efficiency were calculated from resting-state functional MRI data using both static (i.e. calculated on the entire scan) and dynamic (i.e. fluctuations during the scan) approaches and compared between patient groups. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of upper and lower limb progression and baseline connectivity patterns.

Results

This study included 214 people with MS (age 47±11; 149 women) and 58 healthy controls (age 46±10; 31 women). Compared to respective non-progressors, upper limb progression (n=24) was related to higher dynamic efficiency of the right premotor cortex, somatosensory cortex and thalamus, while lower limb progression (n=37) was related to higher dynamic efficiency of the right supplementary motor area at baseline (p<0.05). Logistic regression showed that dynamic efficiency of the thalamus and supplementary motor area best predicted upper and lower limb progression respectively, independent of the severity of structural damage (p<0.01). Both areas displayed widespread higher dynamic connectivity in progressing compared to non-progressing patients at baseline (p<0.05).

Conclusions

Disability progression can be predicted by the severity of fluctuations (i.e. higher dynamics) in the efficiency of the sensorimotor network. The dynamic behavior of the thalamus and supplementary motor area were respectively related to upper and lower limb progression, possibly indicating different mechanisms underlying these types of progression in MS.

Collapse

Presenter Of 2 Presentations

Imaging Poster Presentation

P0582 - High resolution functional mapping of upper and lower limb sensorimotor function in minimally disabled people with multiple sclerosis using 7T MRI (ID 1050)

Speakers
Presentation Number
P0582
Presentation Topic
Imaging

Abstract

Background

In multiple sclerosis (MS) upper and lower limbs can be affected, but impairments only moderately relate to each other. Previous motor task studies have focussed predominantly on imaging hand function at clinical field strengths, preventing the detection of subtle changes and differentiation of mechanisms underlying subtle motor impairment.

Objectives

To investigate functional brain changes related to upper and/or lower limb motor task performance in minimally disabled MS patients using ultra-high field MRI.

Methods

Twenty-eight MS patients and seventeen healthy controls underwent visually-guided force-matching fMRI tasks using either hand or foot. Task performance (force error and lag) and activation level during upper and lower limb movements were compared between groups. Correlations were assessed between task activation and behavioural performance.

Results

During lower limb force tracking, MS patients showed significantly (p<0.01) longer lag, higher force error, higher primary motor and premotor cortex activation and lower cerebellar Crus I/II activation, compared to controls. No differences were seen in upper limb performance or activation. Upper and lower limb task performance was related to the level of activation in cerebellar, visual and motor areas in MS patients.

Conclusions

Altered lower limb movements and brain activation with preserved upper limb function and activation in minimally disabled patients suggests partially divergent functional mechanisms underlying upper and lower limb disability.

Collapse
Imaging Poster Presentation

P0640 - Sensorimotor network dynamics predicts loss of upper and lower limb function in people with multiple sclerosis (ID 1048)

Speakers
Presentation Number
P0640
Presentation Topic
Imaging

Abstract

Background

Both upper and lower limb disability is common in multiple sclerosis (MS), but do not always occur together, suggesting partially independent underlying mechanisms. Physical disability strongly relates to brain network disturbances in MS, yet network mechanisms underlying upper and lower disability progression remain unclear.

Objectives

To investigate the relationship between upper and lower limb progression and functional sensorimotor network changes in MS.

Methods

Longitudinal data was included from a prospectively acquired cohort, with baseline data collected between 2008 and 2012 and follow-up assessments between 2014 and 2017. Participants underwent MRI and dexterity (9-Hole Peg Test) and mobility (Timed 25-Foot Walk) tests at baseline and after 5 years. Patients were stratified into progressors (>20% decline) or non-progressors for both tests. Measures of network efficiency were calculated from resting-state functional MRI data using both static (i.e. calculated on the entire scan) and dynamic (i.e. fluctuations during the scan) approaches and compared between patient groups. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of upper and lower limb progression and baseline connectivity patterns.

Results

This study included 214 people with MS (age 47±11; 149 women) and 58 healthy controls (age 46±10; 31 women). Compared to respective non-progressors, upper limb progression (n=24) was related to higher dynamic efficiency of the right premotor cortex, somatosensory cortex and thalamus, while lower limb progression (n=37) was related to higher dynamic efficiency of the right supplementary motor area at baseline (p<0.05). Logistic regression showed that dynamic efficiency of the thalamus and supplementary motor area best predicted upper and lower limb progression respectively, independent of the severity of structural damage (p<0.01). Both areas displayed widespread higher dynamic connectivity in progressing compared to non-progressing patients at baseline (p<0.05).

Conclusions

Disability progression can be predicted by the severity of fluctuations (i.e. higher dynamics) in the efficiency of the sensorimotor network. The dynamic behavior of the thalamus and supplementary motor area were respectively related to upper and lower limb progression, possibly indicating different mechanisms underlying these types of progression in MS.

Collapse