White Matter Volume and Microstructural Integrity Are Associated with Fatigue in Relapsing Multiple
Poster No:
212
Submission Type:
Abstract Submission
Authors:
Alejandra Figueroa-Vargas1, Sebastian Navarrete2, Maria Paz Martinez-Molina1, Pablo Billeke3, Victor Marquez1, Francisco Aboitiz4, Pamela Guevara5, Patricio Carvajal-Paredes3, Marcela Díaz Díaz6, Paulo Figueroa-Taiba1
Institutions:
1Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Santiago, 2Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Concepción, 3Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, WI, 4Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Metropilitana , 5Universidad de Concepción, Concepción , Bio bio, 6Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Santiago
First Author:
Co-Author(s):
Introduction:
Fatigue is one of the most prevalent and disabling symptoms in multiple sclerosis (MS), yet its underlying neural mechanisms remain elusive. While fatigue occurs in various neurological conditions and healthy individuals, the specific brain structural changes contributing to fatigue in relapsing MS (RMS) warrant investigation. Here, we explored whether fatigue in people with relapsing MS (PwRMS) is associated with distinct structural brain alterations compared to healthy controls experiencing fatigue.
Methods:
We performed a cross-sectional neuroimaging study involving 32 PwRMS and 29 fatigue-reporting healthy controls. MRI acquisitions included T1-weighted imaging to assess regional brain volumes and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) to evaluate white matter microstructure integrity. Fatigue severity was quantified using the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS). Bayesian LASSO and Spike-and-Slab LASSO regression models were employed to identify brain regions significantly associated with fatigue scores, controlling for age, sex, and intracranial volume (ICV). These models enable robust feature selection while mitigating overfitting, particularly in datasets with high dimensionality and limited sample size.
·Connectivity analysis methodology
Results:
Our analysis revealed that fatigue in PwRMS is associated with specific structural alterations distinct from healthy individuals. Lower white matter volume and microstructural integrity were significantly linked to higher fatigue scores, particularly in the caudate, cingulate gyrus (anterior region), inferior frontal gyrus, and the banks of the superior temporal sulcus. Notably, these regions are implicated in cognitive control, motor regulation, and sensorimotor integration-functions often disrupted in MS. In contrast, no significant associations were observed in the healthy control group, suggesting that the neural substrates of fatigue in PwRMS are disease-specific and not merely attributable to general mechanisms of fatigue.
·Connectivity MRI measures and fatigue score.
Conclusions:
This study highlights the role of both volumetric reductions and microstructural compromise in regions integral to cognitive and motor processes in PwRMS with fatigue. These findings provide novel insights into the structural brain correlates underlying MS-related fatigue and distinguish them from fatigue mechanisms in healthy individuals. Understanding these neurobiological substrates could guide the development of targeted interventions aimed at mitigating fatigue in people with MS. Future research leveraging longitudinal imaging and multimodal approaches will be critical to elucidate causal relationships and dynamic changes in brain structure associated with fatigue progression.
Disorders of the Nervous System:
Neurodegenerative/ Late Life (eg. Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s) 1
Modeling and Analysis Methods:
Bayesian Modeling
Connectivity (eg. functional, effective, structural)
Diffusion MRI Modeling and Analysis
Neuroanatomy, Physiology, Metabolism and Neurotransmission:
White Matter Anatomy, Fiber Pathways and Connectivity 2
Keywords:
ADULTS
Demyelinating
Statistical Methods
STRUCTURAL MRI
WHITE MATTER IMAGING - DTI, HARDI, DSI, ETC
1|2Indicates the priority used for review
Abstract Information
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Healthy subjects only or patients (note that patient studies may also involve healthy subjects):
Was this research conducted in the United States?
Were any human subjects research approved by the relevant Institutional Review Board or ethics panel? NOTE: Any human subjects studies without IRB approval will be automatically rejected.
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Provide references using APA citation style.
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