Examination of cognitive fatigue in multiple sclerosis using functional magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging

PLoS One. 2013 Nov 1;8(11):e78811. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078811. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

The present study investigated the neural correlates of cognitive fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis (MS), looking specifically at the relationship between self-reported fatigue and objective measures of cognitive fatigue. In Experiment 1, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to examine where in the brain BOLD activity covaried with "state" fatigue, assessed during performance of a task designed to induce cognitive fatigue while in the scanner. In Experiment 2, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to examine where in the brain white matter damage correlated with increased "trait" fatigue in individuals with MS, assessed by the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) completed outside the scanning session. During the cognitively fatiguing task, the MS group had increased brain activity associated with fatigue in the caudate as compared with HCs. DTI findings revealed that reduced fractional anisotropy in the anterior internal capsule was associated with increased self-reported fatigue on the FSS. Results are discussed in terms of identifying a "fatigue-network" in MS.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anisotropy
  • Brain / physiopathology*
  • Brain Mapping
  • Cognition Disorders / physiopathology*
  • Diffusion Tensor Imaging
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Internal Capsule / physiopathology
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
  • Male
  • Mental Fatigue / physiopathology*
  • Multiple Sclerosis / physiopathology*
  • Nerve Net / physiopathology
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Psychomotor Performance / physiology
  • Self Report

Grants and funding

This work was supported in part by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) PP1364 to Glenn Wylie, NMSS RG 4232A1/1 to Helen Genova, and NMSS RG 3330A1/3 to Nancy Chiaravalloti. NMSS website: www.nationalmssociety.org. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.