ORCID

Abstract

BackgroundAltered thalamic volumes and resting state (RS) functional connectivity (FC) might be associated with physical activity (PA) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in people with progressive multiple sclerosis (PMS).ObjectivesTo assess thalamic structural and functional alterations and investigate their correlations with PA/CRF levels in people with PMS.MethodsSeven-day accelerometry and cardiopulmonary exercise testing were used to assess PA/CRF levels in 91 persons with PMS. They underwent 3.0 T structural and RS fMRI acquisition with 37 age/sex-matched healthy controls (HC). Between-group comparisons of MRI measures and their correlations with PA/CRF variables were assessed.ResultsPMS people had lower volumes compared to HC (all p < 0.001). At corrected threshold, PMS showed decreased intra- and inter-thalamic RS FC, and increased RS FC between the thalamus and the hippocampus, bilaterally. At uncorrected threshold, decreased thalamic RS FC with caudate nucleus, cerebellum and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), as well as increased thalamic RS FC with occipital regions, were also detected. Lower CRF, measured as peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak), correlated with lower white matter volume (r = 0.31, p = 0.03). Moreover, lower levels of light PA correlated with increased thalamic RS FC with the right hippocampus (r = − 0.3, p = 0.05).DiscussionPeople with PMS showed widespread brain atrophy, as well as pronounced intra-thalamic and thalamo-hippocampal RS FC abnormalities. White matter atrophy correlated with CRF, while increased thalamo-hippocampal RS FC was associated to worse PA levels. Thalamic RS FC might be used to monitor physical impairment and efficacy of rehabilitative and disease-modifying treatments in future studies.

Publication Date

2023-01-01

Publication Title

Journal of Neurology

Volume

270

Issue

6

ISSN

0340-5354

Acceptance Date

2023-03-09

Deposit Date

2023-03-08

Embargo Period

2024-03-17

First Page

3213

Last Page

3224

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