Microstructural changes precede depression in patients with relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis.

Background: Multiple Sclerosis lesions in the brain and spinal cord can lead to different symptoms, including cognitive and mood changes. In this study we explore the temporal relationship between early microstructural changes in subcortical volumes and cognitive and emotional function in a longitudinal cohort study of patients with relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis.

Methods: In vivo imaging in forty-six patients with relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis was performed annually over 3 years magnetic resonance imaging. Microstructural changes were estimated in subcortical structures using the free water fraction, a diffusion-based MRI metric. In parallel, patients were assessed with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale amongst other tests. Predictive structural equation modeling was set up to further explore the relationship between imaging and the assessment scores. In a general linear model analysis, the cohort was split into patients with higher and lower depression scores.

Results: Nearly all subcortical diffusion microstructure estimates at the baseline visit correlate with the depression score at the 2 years follow-up. The predictive nature of baseline free water estimates and depression subscores after 2 years are confirmed in the predictive structural equation modeling analysis with the thalamus showing the greatest effect size. The general linear model analysis shows patterns of MRI free water differences in the thalamus and amygdala/hippocampus area between participants with high and low depression score.

Conclusions: Our data suggests a relationship between higher levels of free-water in the subcortical structures in an early stage of Multiple Sclerosis and depression symptoms at a later stage of the disease.