title: Cognitive-Motor Related Brain Activity During Walking: Differences Between Men and Women With Multiple Sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if sex differences in glucose uptake, a marker of brain activity, are present in brain regions that facilitate walking performance in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional, observational pilot.
  
  
  METHODS
  University laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Positron emission tomography with fluorine-18-labeled deoxyglucose (FDG) was performed on persons with MS and healthy controls (4 men and 4 women per group; N=16) after a 15-minute walking test.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  Brain activity was quantified as the mean standardized uptake value (SUV).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean SUV was significantly lower in the thalamus (P=.029) and cerebellum (P=.029) for men with MS compared with women with MS, but not for the prefrontal (P=.057) or frontal (P=.057) cortices. Similar nonsignificant trends were found for healthy controls. No mean SUV group × sex interaction effects were found between the MS and healthy control groups (all P>.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To our knowledge, this is the first study of brain activity sex differences based on FDG uptake in persons with MS during walking. Significantly less FDG uptake in the thalamus and cerebellum brain regions important for walking performance was found in men with MS compared with women with MS; however, these comparisons were not significantly different in the healthy control group. No differences in FDG uptake were found between the MS and healthy control groups in any of the brain regions examined. Results from this study provide pilot data for larger studies aimed at identifying underlying mechanisms responsible for accelerated disability in men with MS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO; Department of Neurology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO. Electronic address: Jeffrey.Hebert@ucdenver.edu.
authors.forename: Jeffrey R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Hebert
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Exercise Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kindred
authors.affiliation: Turku Positron Emission Tomography Centre, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bucci
authors.affiliation: Turku Positron Emission Tomography Centre, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Jetro J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Tuulari
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO.
authors.forename: Lisa A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Brenner
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO.
authors.forename: Jeri E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Forster
authors.affiliation: Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO.
authors.forename: Phillip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Koo
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Exercise Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rudroff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000378:metabolism*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012737:Sex Factors; D013788:Thalamus / Q000378:metabolism*; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005947:Glucose
keywords: Brain; Multiple sclerosis; Positron-emission tomography; Rehabilitation