title: The influence of posterior visual pathway damage on visual information processing speed in multiple sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The injury of visual pathway and abnormalities of visual processing speed (VPS) are frequent in MS, but their association remains unexplored.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the impact of posterior visual pathway structural and functional integrity on VPS of MS patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study of 30 MS patients and 28 controls, evaluating the association of a VPS tests composite (Salthouse Perceptual Comparison test, Trail Making Test A and Symbol Digit Modalities Test) with 3T MRI visual cortex thickness, optic radiations (OR) diffusion tensor imaging indexes, and medial visual component (MVC) functional connectivity (FC) (MVC-MVC FC (iFC) and MVC-brain FC (eFC)) by linear regression, removing the effect of premorbid IQ, fatigue, and depression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  V2 atrophy, lower OR fractional anisotropy (FA) and MVC FC significantly influenced VPS in MS (at none or lesser extent in controls), even after removing the effect of Expanded Disability Status Scale and previous optic neuritis (V2 ( r2= 0.210): β = +0.366, p = 0.046; OR FA ( r2= 0.243): β = +0.378, p = 0.034; MVC iFC, for example, left cuneus ( r2= 0.450): β = -0.613, p < 0.001; MVC eFC, for example, right precuneus-postcentral gyrus ( r2= 0.368): β = -0.466, p = 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Posterior visual pathway integrity, structural (V2 thickness and OR FA) and functional (MVC FC), may explain respectively up to 24% and 45% of VPS variability in MS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Methods and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education, Universidad de Deusto, Bilbao, Spain/Neurodegenerative Diseases Group, BioCruces Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain.
authors.forename: Iñigo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gabilondo
authors.affiliation: Department of Methods and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education, Universidad de Deusto, Bilbao, Spain.
authors.forename: Oiane
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rilo
authors.affiliation: Department of Methods and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education, Universidad de Deusto, Bilbao, Spain.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ojeda
authors.affiliation: Department of Methods and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education, Universidad de Deusto, Bilbao, Spain.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pena
authors.affiliation: Department of Methods and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education, Universidad de Deusto, Bilbao, Spain.
authors.forename: Ainara
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gómez-Gastiasoro
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department, Cruces University Hospital, Barakaldo, Spain.
authors.forename: Mar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mendibe Bilbao
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department, Basurto University Hospital, Bilbao, Spain.
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Antigüedad
authors.affiliation: Research and Innovation Department, Magnetic Resonance Imaging Unit, Osatek SA, Bilbao, Spain.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cabrera
authors.affiliation: Computational Neuroimaging Group, Quantitative Biomedicine Unit, BioCruces Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain.
authors.forename: Ibai
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Diez
authors.affiliation: Department of Methods and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education, Universidad de Deusto, Bilbao, Spain.
authors.forename: Naroa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ibarretxe-Bilbao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Multiple sclerosis; cognitive assessment; processing speed; quantitative MRI; resting state; visual pathway