title: Functional overlap and divergence between ALS and bvFTD.
abstract: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) lie on a clinical, pathologic, and genetic continuum. Neuroimaging techniques have proven to be potentially useful to unravel the shared features of these syndromes. Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI), we investigated functional connectivity of brain networks in 15 ALS and 15 bvFTD patients in early stages of disease and 15 healthy controls, looking expressly for connectivity pattern divergence or overlap between the 2 disorders. Compared with controls, we found decreased RS-fMRI signals within sensorimotor, right frontoparietal, salience, and executive networks in both patient groups. Within the default mode network (DMN), divergent connectivity patterns were observed, with RS-fMRI signals in the posterior cingulate cortex enhanced in bvFTD patients and suppressed in ALS patients. Our findings confirm that ALS and bvFTD not only broadly share common RS-fMRI connectivity patterns, probably representing different phenotypical expressions of the same neurodegenerative process, but also differ in the DMN, probably reflecting a different stage of neurodegeneration.
authors: Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy; Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Center of the Second University of Naples-Italian Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors: Francesca
authors: F
authors: Trojsi
authors: Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Center of the Second University of Naples-Italian Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy; Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Salerno, Italy.
authors: Fabrizio
authors: F
authors: Esposito
authors: Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors: Manuela
authors: M
authors: de Stefano
authors: Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors: Daniela
authors: D
authors: Buonanno
authors: Institute of Neurological Sciences, National Research Council, Mangone, Cosenza, Italy.
authors: Francesca L
authors: FL
authors: Conforti
authors: Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Center of the Second University of Naples-Italian Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy; Neurological Institute for Diagnosis and Care "Hermitage Capodimonte", Naples, Italy.
authors: Daniele
authors: D
authors: Corbo
authors: Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy; Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Center of the Second University of Naples-Italian Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors: Giovanni
authors: G
authors: Piccirillo
authors: Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy; Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Center of the Second University of Naples-Italian Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors: Mario
authors: M
authors: Cirillo
authors: Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy; Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Center of the Second University of Naples-Italian Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors: Maria Rosaria
authors: MR
authors: Monsurrò
authors: Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy; Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Center of the Second University of Naples-Italian Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors: Patrizia
authors: P
authors: Montella
authors: Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy; Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Center of the Second University of Naples-Italian Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy. Electronic address: gioacchino.tedeschi@unina2.it.
authors: Gioacchino
authors: G
authors: Tedeschi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D057180:Frontotemporal Dementia / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology
keywords: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia; Connectivity; Pathologic continuum; RS-fMRI