Cerebellar Volume Measures Differentiate Multiple Sclerosis Fallers from Non-Fallers
Introduction: The cerebellum is a common lesion site in persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Physiologic and anatomic studies have identified a topographic organization of the cerebellum including functionally distinct motor and cognitive areas. In this study, a recent parcellation algorithm was...
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2025-01-01
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| author | Taylor N. Takla Jennie Feldpausch Erin M. Edwards Shuo Han Peter A. Calabresi Jerry Prince Kathleen M. Zackowski Nora E. Fritz |
| author_facet | Taylor N. Takla Jennie Feldpausch Erin M. Edwards Shuo Han Peter A. Calabresi Jerry Prince Kathleen M. Zackowski Nora E. Fritz |
| author_sort | Taylor N. Takla |
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| description | Introduction: The cerebellum is a common lesion site in persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Physiologic and anatomic studies have identified a topographic organization of the cerebellum including functionally distinct motor and cognitive areas. In this study, a recent parcellation algorithm was applied to a sample of PwMS and healthy controls to examine the relationships among specific cerebellar regions, fall status, and common clinical measures of motor and cognitive functions. Methods: Thirty-one PwMS and twenty-nine age- and sex-matched controls underwent an MRI scan and motor and cognitive testing. The parcellation algorithm was applied to all images and divided the cerebellum into 28 regions. Mann–Whitney U tests were used to compare cerebellar volumes among PwMS and controls, and MS fallers and MS non-fallers. Relationships between cerebellar volumes and motor and cognitive function were evaluated using Spearman correlations. Results: PwMS performed significantly worse on functional measures compared to controls. We found significant differences in volumetric measures between PwMS and controls in the corpus medullare, lobules I–III, and lobule V. Volumetric differences seen between the PwMS and controls were primarily driven by the MS fallers. Finally, functional performance on motor and cognitive tasks was associated with cerebellar volumes. Conclusions: Using the parcellation tool, our results showed that the volumes of motor and cognitive lobules impact both motor and cognitive performance, and that functional performance and cerebellar volumes distinguishes the MS fallers from non-fallers. Future studies should explore the potential of cerebellar imaging to predict falls in PwMS. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-946ff875ee8f4d5e824bc15bf8afcb8d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2076-3425 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-946ff875ee8f4d5e824bc15bf8afcb8d2025-01-24T13:25:54ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252025-01-011517710.3390/brainsci15010077Cerebellar Volume Measures Differentiate Multiple Sclerosis Fallers from Non-FallersTaylor N. Takla0Jennie Feldpausch1Erin M. Edwards2Shuo Han3Peter A. Calabresi4Jerry Prince5Kathleen M. Zackowski6Nora E. Fritz7Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USADepartment of Health Care Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USATranslational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USAElectrical and Computer Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USADepartment of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USAElectrical and Computer Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USADepartment of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USATranslational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USAIntroduction: The cerebellum is a common lesion site in persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Physiologic and anatomic studies have identified a topographic organization of the cerebellum including functionally distinct motor and cognitive areas. In this study, a recent parcellation algorithm was applied to a sample of PwMS and healthy controls to examine the relationships among specific cerebellar regions, fall status, and common clinical measures of motor and cognitive functions. Methods: Thirty-one PwMS and twenty-nine age- and sex-matched controls underwent an MRI scan and motor and cognitive testing. The parcellation algorithm was applied to all images and divided the cerebellum into 28 regions. Mann–Whitney U tests were used to compare cerebellar volumes among PwMS and controls, and MS fallers and MS non-fallers. Relationships between cerebellar volumes and motor and cognitive function were evaluated using Spearman correlations. Results: PwMS performed significantly worse on functional measures compared to controls. We found significant differences in volumetric measures between PwMS and controls in the corpus medullare, lobules I–III, and lobule V. Volumetric differences seen between the PwMS and controls were primarily driven by the MS fallers. Finally, functional performance on motor and cognitive tasks was associated with cerebellar volumes. Conclusions: Using the parcellation tool, our results showed that the volumes of motor and cognitive lobules impact both motor and cognitive performance, and that functional performance and cerebellar volumes distinguishes the MS fallers from non-fallers. Future studies should explore the potential of cerebellar imaging to predict falls in PwMS.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/15/1/77multiple sclerosisfallscerebellumcognitionmotor functioning |
| spellingShingle | Taylor N. Takla Jennie Feldpausch Erin M. Edwards Shuo Han Peter A. Calabresi Jerry Prince Kathleen M. Zackowski Nora E. Fritz Cerebellar Volume Measures Differentiate Multiple Sclerosis Fallers from Non-Fallers Brain Sciences multiple sclerosis falls cerebellum cognition motor functioning |
| title | Cerebellar Volume Measures Differentiate Multiple Sclerosis Fallers from Non-Fallers |
| title_full | Cerebellar Volume Measures Differentiate Multiple Sclerosis Fallers from Non-Fallers |
| title_fullStr | Cerebellar Volume Measures Differentiate Multiple Sclerosis Fallers from Non-Fallers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cerebellar Volume Measures Differentiate Multiple Sclerosis Fallers from Non-Fallers |
| title_short | Cerebellar Volume Measures Differentiate Multiple Sclerosis Fallers from Non-Fallers |
| title_sort | cerebellar volume measures differentiate multiple sclerosis fallers from non fallers |
| topic | multiple sclerosis falls cerebellum cognition motor functioning |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/15/1/77 |
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