INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster	Poster Session 04 Program Schedule 02/15/2024 12:00 pm - 01:15 pm Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120) Poster Session 04: Neuroimaging \| Neurostimulation/Neuromodulation \| Teleneuropsychology/Technology Final Abstract #64 Age-Related Changes to White Matter, Cognitive Performance, and Subjective Cognitive Functioning in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis Colleen Lacey, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada Sepideh Heydari, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada Jodie Gawryluk, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada Category: Neuroimaging Keyword 1: multiple sclerosis Keyword 2: cognitive functioning Keyword 3: aging disorders Objective: The current study aimed to examine the relationship between aging, objective and subjective cognitive functioning, and white matter integrity in adults with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Participants and Methods: 29 persons with MS were included in the study (21 Females, mean age= 57.24 ± 11.32, age range: 33-75, mean education= 16.80 ± 3.09 years). To examine white matter integrity, diffusion weighted MRI data were collected on a 3T GE Signa Pioneer MRI scanner. The images were acquired with a SE-EPI sequence, axially, with the following parameters: TR = 8000 ms, TE = 101 ms, flip angle = 90°, 52 slices, voxel size = 1.4 x 1.4 x 2.0 mm. There were 48 images acquired for each scan: 45 diffusion-weighted images (b = 1000 s/mm²) and 3 non-diffusion-weighted images (b = 0 s/mm²; b0). Analyses were performed using FSL’s tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) pipeline (https://fsl.fmrib.ox.ac.uk/fsl/fslwiki/TBSS) to derive fractional anisotropy (FA). Cognitive scores were obtained from the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (oral version; SDMT), Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT), and the Stroop task. Subjective cognitive measures included the Perceived Deficit Questionnaire (PDQ) and the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale-cognitive subscale (MFIS-cog). Voxel-wise statistics were performed on the FA skeleton using Randomize to examine the relationship with objective and subjective cognitive scores, age, and FA (p < 0.05, corrected for multiple comparisons via threshold-free cluster enhancement; TFCE). Regions of significant correlation were visualized in FSLeyes according to the JHU White-Matter Tractography Atlas. Outside of the TBSS pipeline, the correlation (Pearson r) between the same raw scores and age were examined. Results: Results indicated that FA significantly decreased with increased age in widespread tracts (p<0.05; TFCE corrected). FA significantly decreased with lower scores on the oral SDMT and PASAT measures (both p<0.05; TFCE corrected). No significant relationship was detected between FA and Stroop scores, MFIS-cog, or PDQ. There was a significant small negative relationship between age and the following measures: SDMT (r(27)= -0.578, p=0.001), PASAT (r(27)= -0.4044, p=0.030), Stroop color-word interference (r(24)=-0.439, p=0.025), MFIS-cog (r(25)= -0.405, p= 0.036), and PDQ (r(25)= -0.413, p= 0.032). Conclusions: Relatively few studies have used neuroimaging techniques to examine age related changes in people with MS. These findings demonstrate a significant relationship between age and white matter integrity, cognitive performance and white matter integrity, and cognitive performance and age. This suggests that MS as a neurodegenerative disease might accelerate cognitive aging. Objective and subjective cognitive functioning declined with older age, while only cognitive processing speed was related to white matter integrity. Significant white matter regions impacted by aging found in this study provide insight into underlying processes involved in MS aging, as well as potential cognitive and neurobiological targets for early intervention.

Poster

02/15/2024
12:00 pm - 01:15 pm
Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120)

Poster Session 04: Neuroimaging | Neurostimulation/Neuromodulation | Teleneuropsychology/Technology

Final Abstract #64

Age-Related Changes to White Matter, Cognitive Performance, and Subjective Cognitive Functioning in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis

Colleen Lacey, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
Sepideh Heydari, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
Jodie Gawryluk, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada

Category: Neuroimaging

Keyword 1: multiple sclerosis
Keyword 2: cognitive functioning
Keyword 3: aging disorders

Objective:

The current study aimed to examine the relationship between aging, objective and subjective cognitive functioning, and white matter integrity in adults with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Participants and Methods:

29 persons with MS were included in the study (21 Females, mean age= 57.24 ± 11.32, age range: 33-75, mean education= 16.80 ± 3.09 years). To examine white matter integrity, diffusion weighted MRI data were collected on a 3T GE Signa Pioneer MRI scanner. The images were acquired with a SE-EPI sequence, axially, with the following parameters: TR = 8000 ms, TE = 101 ms, flip angle = 90°, 52 slices, voxel size = 1.4 x 1.4 x 2.0 mm. There were 48 images acquired for each scan: 45 diffusion-weighted images (b = 1000 s/mm²) and 3 non-diffusion-weighted images (b = 0 s/mm²; b0). Analyses were performed using FSL’s tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) pipeline (https://fsl.fmrib.ox.ac.uk/fsl/fslwiki/TBSS) to derive fractional anisotropy (FA). Cognitive scores were obtained from the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (oral version; SDMT), Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT), and the Stroop task. Subjective cognitive measures included the Perceived Deficit Questionnaire (PDQ) and the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale-cognitive subscale (MFIS-cog). Voxel-wise statistics were performed on the FA skeleton using Randomize to examine the relationship with objective and subjective cognitive scores, age, and FA (p < 0.05, corrected for multiple comparisons via threshold-free cluster enhancement; TFCE). Regions of significant correlation were visualized in FSLeyes according to the JHU White-Matter Tractography Atlas. Outside of the TBSS pipeline, the correlation (Pearson r) between the same raw scores and age were examined.

Results:

Results indicated that FA significantly decreased with increased age in widespread tracts (p<0.05; TFCE corrected). FA significantly decreased with lower scores on the oral SDMT and PASAT measures (both p<0.05; TFCE corrected). No significant relationship was detected between FA and Stroop scores, MFIS-cog, or PDQ. There was a significant small negative relationship between age and the following measures: SDMT (r(27)= -0.578, p=0.001), PASAT (r(27)= -0.4044, p=0.030), Stroop color-word interference (r(24)=-0.439, p=0.025), MFIS-cog (r(25)= -0.405, p= 0.036), and PDQ (r(25)= -0.413, p= 0.032).

Conclusions:

Relatively few studies have used neuroimaging techniques to examine age related changes in people with MS. These findings demonstrate a significant relationship between age and white matter integrity, cognitive performance and white matter integrity, and cognitive performance and age. This suggests that MS as a neurodegenerative disease might accelerate cognitive aging. Objective and subjective cognitive functioning declined with older age, while only cognitive processing speed was related to white matter integrity. Significant white matter regions impacted by aging found in this study provide insight into underlying processes involved in MS aging, as well as potential cognitive and neurobiological targets for early intervention.