Abstract
Background: Highly common in multiple sclerosis (MS), fatigue severely impacts patients' daily lives. Previous findings of altered connectivity patterns led to the hypothesis that the distortion of functional connections within the brain-muscle circuit plays a crucial pathogenic role. Objective: The objective of this paper is to identify markers sensitive to fatigue in multiple sclerosis. Methods: Structural (magnetic resonance imaging with assessment of thalamic volume and cortical thickness of the primary sensorimotor areas) and functional (cortico-muscular coherence (CMC) from simultaneous electroencephalo- and surface electromyographic recordings during a weak handgrip task) measures were used on 20 mildly disabled MS patients (relapsing-remitting course, Expanded Disability Status Scale score = 2) who were recruited in two fatigue-dependent groups according to the Modified Fatigue Index Scale (MFIS) score. Results: The two groups were similar in terms of demographic, clinical and imaging features, as well as task execution accuracy and weariness. In the absence of any fatigue-dependent brain and muscular oscillatory activity alterations, CMC worked at higher frequencies as fatigue increased, explaining 67% of MFIS variance (p=.002). Conclusion: Brain-muscle functional connectivity emerged as a sensitive marker of phenomena related to the origin of MS fatigue, impacting central-peripheral communication well before the appearance of any impairment in the communicating nodes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 334-343 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Multiple Sclerosis Journal |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2013 |
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Keywords
- Cortical thickness and volumetry
- electroencephalography (EEG)
- fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS)
- magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- surface electromyography (EMG)
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Clinical Neurology
- Neurology
Cite this
Cortico-muscular coherence as an index of fatigue in multiple sclerosis. / Tomasevic, L.; Zito, G.; Pasqualetti, P.; Filippi, M. M.; Landi, D.; Ghazaryan, A.; Lupoi, D.; Porcaro, C.; Bagnato, F.; Rossini, P. M.; Tecchio, F.
In: Multiple Sclerosis Journal, Vol. 19, No. 3, 2013, p. 334-343.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Cortico-muscular coherence as an index of fatigue in multiple sclerosis
AU - Tomasevic, L.
AU - Zito, G.
AU - Pasqualetti, P.
AU - Filippi, M. M.
AU - Landi, D.
AU - Ghazaryan, A.
AU - Lupoi, D.
AU - Porcaro, C.
AU - Bagnato, F.
AU - Rossini, P. M.
AU - Tecchio, F.
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - Background: Highly common in multiple sclerosis (MS), fatigue severely impacts patients' daily lives. Previous findings of altered connectivity patterns led to the hypothesis that the distortion of functional connections within the brain-muscle circuit plays a crucial pathogenic role. Objective: The objective of this paper is to identify markers sensitive to fatigue in multiple sclerosis. Methods: Structural (magnetic resonance imaging with assessment of thalamic volume and cortical thickness of the primary sensorimotor areas) and functional (cortico-muscular coherence (CMC) from simultaneous electroencephalo- and surface electromyographic recordings during a weak handgrip task) measures were used on 20 mildly disabled MS patients (relapsing-remitting course, Expanded Disability Status Scale score = 2) who were recruited in two fatigue-dependent groups according to the Modified Fatigue Index Scale (MFIS) score. Results: The two groups were similar in terms of demographic, clinical and imaging features, as well as task execution accuracy and weariness. In the absence of any fatigue-dependent brain and muscular oscillatory activity alterations, CMC worked at higher frequencies as fatigue increased, explaining 67% of MFIS variance (p=.002). Conclusion: Brain-muscle functional connectivity emerged as a sensitive marker of phenomena related to the origin of MS fatigue, impacting central-peripheral communication well before the appearance of any impairment in the communicating nodes.
AB - Background: Highly common in multiple sclerosis (MS), fatigue severely impacts patients' daily lives. Previous findings of altered connectivity patterns led to the hypothesis that the distortion of functional connections within the brain-muscle circuit plays a crucial pathogenic role. Objective: The objective of this paper is to identify markers sensitive to fatigue in multiple sclerosis. Methods: Structural (magnetic resonance imaging with assessment of thalamic volume and cortical thickness of the primary sensorimotor areas) and functional (cortico-muscular coherence (CMC) from simultaneous electroencephalo- and surface electromyographic recordings during a weak handgrip task) measures were used on 20 mildly disabled MS patients (relapsing-remitting course, Expanded Disability Status Scale score = 2) who were recruited in two fatigue-dependent groups according to the Modified Fatigue Index Scale (MFIS) score. Results: The two groups were similar in terms of demographic, clinical and imaging features, as well as task execution accuracy and weariness. In the absence of any fatigue-dependent brain and muscular oscillatory activity alterations, CMC worked at higher frequencies as fatigue increased, explaining 67% of MFIS variance (p=.002). Conclusion: Brain-muscle functional connectivity emerged as a sensitive marker of phenomena related to the origin of MS fatigue, impacting central-peripheral communication well before the appearance of any impairment in the communicating nodes.
KW - Cortical thickness and volumetry
KW - electroencephalography (EEG)
KW - fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS)
KW - magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
KW - surface electromyography (EMG)
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84874389280&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84874389280&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1352458512452921
DO - 10.1177/1352458512452921
M3 - Article
C2 - 22760098
AN - SCOPUS:84874389280
VL - 19
SP - 334
EP - 343
JO - Multiple Sclerosis
JF - Multiple Sclerosis
SN - 1352-4585
IS - 3
ER -