http://www.nitrc.org/forum/forum.php?forum_id=6554 <table border="0" width="100%"><tr><td align="left"/></tr></table> <p><b>Novel fMRI working memory paradigm accurately detects cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis.</b></p> <p>Mult Scler. 2016 Sep 9;</p> <p>Authors: Nelson F, Akhtar MA, Zúñiga E, Perez CA, Hasan KM, Wilken J, Wolinsky JS, Narayana PA, Steinberg JL</p> <p>Abstract<br/> BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment (CI) cannot be diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) paradigms, such as the immediate/delayed memory task (I/DMT), detect varying degrees of working memory (WM). Preliminary findings using I/DMT showed differences in blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) activation between impaired (MSCI, n = 12) and non-impaired (MSNI, n = 9) multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.<br/> OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to confirm CI detection based on I/DMT BOLD activation in a larger cohort of MS patients. The role of T2 lesion volume (LV) and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) in magnitude of BOLD signal was also sought.<br/> METHODS: A total of 50 patients (EDSS mean (m) = 3.2, disease duration (DD) m = 12 years, and age m = 40 years) underwent the Minimal Assessment of Cognitive Function in Multiple Sclerosis (MACFIMS) and I/DMT. Working memory activation (WMa) represents BOLD signal during DMT minus signal during IMT. CI was based on MACFIMS.<br/> RESULTS: A total of 10 MSNI, 30 MSCI, and 4 borderline patients were included in the analyses. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed MSNI had significantly greater WMa than MSCI, in the left prefrontal cortex and left supplementary motor area (p = 0.032). Regression analysis showed significant inverse correlations between WMa and T2 LV/EDSS in similar areas (p = 0.005, 0.004, respectively).<br/> CONCLUSION: I/DMT-based BOLD activation detects CI in MS. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.<br/> </p><p>PMID: 27613119 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]</p> en-us Copyright 2000-2026 NITRC OSI Tue, 05 May 2026 3:31:29 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss NITRC RSS generator