Research has helped to shed new light into the role of brain pathology and cognitive fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS).
Through a new project, Kessler Foundation has helped to advance knowledge around the relationship between rate of cognitive fatigue and microstructural brain changes.
Their findings help to fill a gap in the current literature by associating microstructural white matter – tracts that send signals within the brain – and basal ganglia – structures deep within the brain that have been linked to fatigue in neurological populations, including MS – with changes to the rate in which people with MS fatigue over time.
“We found that cognitive fatigue rate was related to the integrity of several white matter tracts and the putamen, meaning we saw more compromised microstructural integrity in these areas, specifically those related to basal ganglia connectivity – i.e. “fatigue network” – in people with MS who tended to fatigue faster over time,” said lead author Dr Cristina Román, National MS Society-sponsored research fellow at Kessler Foundation.
“The use of cognitive fatigue rate, rather than the often used ‘trait fatigue’ brings us closer to understanding how brain pathology may be impacting the experience of fatigue in the moment.
“In addition, these results hold promise for continuing to unpack the complex construct that is cognitive fatigue. Both are crucial for developing effective interventions for managing disabling fatigue in persons with MS and other neurological conditions.”
The study was conducted at the Rocco Ortenzio Neuroimaging Center at Kessler Foundation, which is dedicated solely to rehabilitation research.
Participants were 62 people with relapsing-remitting MS who completed seven trials of a within-scanner cognitive fatiguing task. Participants rated their level of cognitive fatigue at baseline and after each trial. The slope of the regression line of all eight fatigue ratings was designated as “cognitive fatigue rate.”
Participants also completed questionnaires measuring depression, anxiety, and trait fatigue. Brain variables included measures of white matter and basal ganglia microstructural integrity.
