Functional and diffusion imaging correlates of speech in people with multiple sclerosis
Poster No:
1276
Submission Type:
Abstract Submission
Authors:
Katherine Kenyon1, Anneke van der Walt2, Frederique Boonstra2, Gustavo Noffs2, Angela Morgan3, Adam Vogel4, Scott Kolbe2, Myrte Strik2, Ian Harding5
Institutions:
1Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, 2Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, 4University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 5QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland
First Author:
Co-Author(s):
Introduction:
Over 40% of people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) develop dysarthria, a disorder caused by weakness and reduced control of muscles involved in speech production. Dysarthria in MS is associated with higher disease severity and disability, and lower quality of life. Speech analyses can be used to distinguish between heathy people and pwMS with both clinical and subclinical presentations of dysarthria, regardless of the level of disability. Despite this, little is known about the underlying mechanisms of dysarthria in MS.
This work aimed to evaluate the pathophysiology of speech dysfunction in MS using both diffusion and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
This work aimed to evaluate the pathophysiology of speech dysfunction in MS using both diffusion and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Methods:
Sixty-two pwMS (mean EDSS = 4.3, 74% female) and 14 healthy controls (HC, 64% female) underwent 3T MRI with functional and diffusion imaging components. Task-based functional MRI included a word repetition task to investigate brain activation during speech preparation and production. Diffusion MRI focused on three white matter tracts associated with motor speech production: the interhemispheric sensorimotor tract, cerebello-thalamo-cortical tract and arcuate fasciculus. All participants completed clinical and speech assessment. Speech naturalness scores > 1 were used to indicate the presence of clinical dysarthria in MS participants.
We used a general linear model through FSL Feat to complete functional MRI analysis, and fixel-based analysis through MRTrix3 for diffusion data analysis. Additionally, the SPM12 lesion segmentation toolbox was used to create a lesion probability map for MS participants.
Mann-Whitney U tests and Spearman correlations were used for statistical analyses.
We used a general linear model through FSL Feat to complete functional MRI analysis, and fixel-based analysis through MRTrix3 for diffusion data analysis. Additionally, the SPM12 lesion segmentation toolbox was used to create a lesion probability map for MS participants.
Mann-Whitney U tests and Spearman correlations were used for statistical analyses.
Results:
Functional MRI showed that pwMS have significantly lower widespread activation during speech preparation (p<.05). In pwMS, we additionally saw an increase in activity during speech production, specifically in the left Brodmann areas 45 and 46. These regions are known to be involved with motor aspects of speech production.
Further, we saw significant reduction in fibre density and cross section in pwMS compared to HC, particularly in the interhemispheric sensorimotor tract and left arcuate fasciculus (p<.05). The lesion probability map for the MS participants overlapped with 56-63% of white matter tract damage.
A total of 19 MS participants presented with clinical dysarthria, as indicated by naturalness > 1. However, all pwMS, regardless of clinical dysarthria status, performed worse on speech measures. Both functional and diffusion MRI changes in pwMS correlate with measures of dysarthria, such as reading rate, speech naturalness and speech ataxia subscores (Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia, SARA).
Further, we saw significant reduction in fibre density and cross section in pwMS compared to HC, particularly in the interhemispheric sensorimotor tract and left arcuate fasciculus (p<.05). The lesion probability map for the MS participants overlapped with 56-63% of white matter tract damage.
A total of 19 MS participants presented with clinical dysarthria, as indicated by naturalness > 1. However, all pwMS, regardless of clinical dysarthria status, performed worse on speech measures. Both functional and diffusion MRI changes in pwMS correlate with measures of dysarthria, such as reading rate, speech naturalness and speech ataxia subscores (Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia, SARA).
Conclusions:
Higher functional activation during speech production in key motor speech regions may represent compensation for underlying MS-related axonal injury as evidenced by reductions white matter fibre density and cross section in motor speech tracts, and the overlap with lesion location. This research provides new insights into the underlying mechanisms of dysarthria in pwMS that have implications for the development of assessment and disease monitoring strategies.
Disorders of the Nervous System:
Neurodegenerative/ Late Life (eg. Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s)
Language:
Speech Production
Modeling and Analysis Methods:
Activation (eg. BOLD task-fMRI) 2
Diffusion MRI Modeling and Analysis 1
Motor Behavior:
Motor Planning and Execution
Keywords:
Degenerative Disease
Demyelinating
FUNCTIONAL MRI
Language
Movement Disorder
MRI
Tractography
WHITE MATTER IMAGING - DTI, HARDI, DSI, ETC
1|2Indicates the priority used for review
Abstract Information
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Provide references using APA citation style.
Kenyon, K. H., Strik, M., Noffs, G., Morgan, A., Kolbe, S., Harding, I. H., ... & Van Der Walt, A. (2024). Volumetric and diffusion MRI abnormalities associated with dysarthria in multiple sclerosis. Brain communications, 6(3), DOI: 0.1093/braincomms/fcae177.