title: Altered thalamic functional connectivity in multiple sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare thalamic functional connectivity (FC) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and healthy controls (HC), and correlate these connectivity measures with other MRI and clinical variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  We employed resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) to examine changes in thalamic connectivity by comparing thirty-five patients with MS and 35 age- and sex-matched HC. Thalamic FC was investigated by correlating low frequency fMRI signal fluctuations in thalamic voxels with voxels in all other brain regions. Additionally thalamic volume fraction (TF), T2 lesion volume (T2LV), EDSS and disease duration were recorded and correlated with the FC changes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MS patients were found to have a significantly lower TF than HC in bilateral thalami. Compared to HC, the MS group showed significantly decreased FC between thalamus and several brain regions including right middle frontal and parahippocampal gyri, and the left inferior parietal lobule. Increased intra- and inter-thalamic FC was observed in the MS group compared to HC. These FC alterations were not correlated with T2LV, thalamic volume or lesions. In the MS group, however, there was a negative correlation between disease duration and inter-thalamic connectivity (r=-0.59, p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We demonstrated decreased FC between thalamus and several cortical regions, while increased intra- and inter-thalamic connectivity in MS patients. These complex functional changes reflect impairments and/or adaptations that are independent of T2LV, thalamic volume or presence of thalamic lesions. The negative correlation between disease duration and inter-thalamic connectivity could indicate an adaptive role of thalamus that is gradually lost with increasing disease duration.
authors: Department of Radiology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, PR China.
authors: Yaou
authors: Y
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Radiology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, PR China.
authors: Peipeng
authors: P
authors: Liang
authors: Department of Radiology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, PR China.
authors: Yunyun
authors: Y
authors: Duan
authors: Department of Radiology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, PR China.
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Huang
authors: Department of Radiology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, PR China.
authors: Zhuoqiong
authors: Z
authors: Ren
authors: Department of Radiology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, PR China.
authors: Xiuqin
authors: X
authors: Jia
authors: Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, PR China.
authors: Huiqing
authors: H
authors: Dong
authors: Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, PR China.
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Ye
authors: Department of Neurology and Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, PR China.
authors: Fu-Dong
authors: FD
authors: Shi
authors: Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia.
authors: Helmut
authors: H
authors: Butzkueven
authors: Department of Radiology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, PR China. Electronic address: kunchengli55@gmail.com.
authors: Kuncheng
authors: K
authors: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000473:pathology*; D013788:Thalamus / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Brain plasticity; Functional connectivity; Functional impairment; Multiple sclerosis; Resting-state functional MRI; Thalamus