Functional and structural MRI correlates of executive functions in multiple sclerosis.

Background: Executive dysfunctions, including difficulties in attention, working memory, planning, and inhibition affect 15%-28% of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.

Objectives: To investigate structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormalities underlying executive function (EF) in MS patients.

Methods: A total 116 MS patients and 65 controls underwent resting-state (RS) and diffusion-weighted sequences and neuropsychological examination, including Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) to test EF. Brain RS cognitive networks and fractional anisotropy (FA) from a priori selected white matter tracts were derived. Associations of WCST scores with RS functional connectivity (FC) and FA abnormalities were investigated.

Results: In MS patients, predictors of working memory/updating were: lower corpus callosum (CC) FA, lower left working-memory network (WMN), right WMN RS FC for worse performance; lower executive control network (ECN), higher default-mode network (DMN), and salience network (SN) RS FC for better performance ( = 0.35). Predictors of attention were lower CC genu FA, lower left WMN, and DMN RS FC for worse performance; higher left WMN and ECN RS FC for better performance ( = 0.24). Predictors of worse shifting/inhibition were lower CC genu and superior cerebellar peduncle (SCP) FA, lower left WMN RS FC for worse performance; and higher ECN RS FC for better performance ( = 0.24).

Conclusions: CC and SCP microstructural damage and RS FC abnormalities in cognitive networks underlie EF frailty in MS.