Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is an effective means of quantifying parameters of demyelination and axonal loss. The application of DTI in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) has yielded noteworthy results. DTI abnormalities, which are already detectable in patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), become more pronounced as disease duration and neurological impairment increase. The assessment of the microstructural alterations of white and grey matter in MS may shed light on mechanisms responsible for irreversible disability accumulation. In this paper, we examine the DTI analysis methods, the results obtained in the various tissues of the central nervous system, and correlations with clinical features and other MRI parameters. The adoption of DTI metrics to assess the outcome of prognostic measures may represent an extremely important step forward in the MS research field.
Thalamic RSN is disrupted in MS, and decreased performance in cognitive testing is associated with increased thalamocortical FC, thus suggesting that neuroplasticity changes are unable to compensate for tissue damage and to prevent cognitive dysfunction.
Despite the low statistical power (35%) due to the small sample size, the results showed that training with the balance board system modified the microstructure of superior cerebellar peduncles. The clinical improvement observed after training might be mediated by enhanced myelination-related processes, suggesting that high-intensity, task-oriented exercises could induce favorable microstructural changes in the brains of patients with multiple sclerosis.
Imbalance due to MS appears to be related to the disconnection between the spinal cord, cerebellum, and cerebral cortex, which in turn produces atrophy of the sensory motor cerebellar regions that are functionally connected with specific cortical areas.
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