Update on the relationships between neuropsychological dysfunction and structural MRI in multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the CNS, characterized by demyelination and neurodegeneration. Besides the sensory and motor deficits that are the hallmark of this disease, approximately 50% of MS patients are cognitively impaired. Over the years, structural neuroimaging has been used widely in MS patients for both diagnostic and research purposes. Various conventional and nonconventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures have provided important information about the degree and mechanisms of cerebral pathology, and these measures correlate with cognitive and affective disturbances. In this article, recent contributions to the literature regarding the correlation between MRI and neuropsychological function in MS are reviewed.

Calpeptin attenuated inflammation, cell death, and axonal damage in animal model of multiple sclerosis

“…In the current study, calpeptin therapy reduced the loss of both sensory and motoneurons in spinal cord in EAE animals. These findings are important in that patients with MS suffer from both sensory and motor deficits, and therapies that protect multiple neuronal cell types can be advantageous in treating heterogeneous neurological diseases such as MS (Tekok‐Kilic et al, 2006).…”

Effects of a novel orally administered calpain inhibitor SNJ‐1945 on immunomodulation and neurodegeneration in a murine model of multiple sclerosis

“…These findings are significant since patients with MS suffer from many symptomatic outcomes based on loss of neurons, and therapies that protect multiple neuronal cell types can be advantageous in treating heterogeneous neurological diseases such as MS (Tekok‐Kilic et al . ).…”

Multiple sclerosis and demyelinating disorders.

“…Although total and regional lesion load are commonly examined in MS, more robust correlations between disability and cognitive impairment have been found with measures of brain atrophy (Zivadinov et al, 2001). In particular, atrophy measures such as bicaudate ratio, third ventricular width, and brain parenchymal fraction have all been shown to be significantly related to neuropsychological performance and account for a significant amount of the variance in predicting cognitive impairment in MS (Tekok-Kilic et al, 2006). Regional brain atrophy in the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes have all been implicated with poor cognitive functioning in MS.…”