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Elevated Brain Temperature Is Associated with Worse Fatigue in Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Patients (P2.172)
Victoria Leavitt2, Alayar Kangarlu1, Feng Liu3, Claire Riley2 and James Sumowski4
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To test the association of brain temperature and fatigue in patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).
BACKGROUND: Fatigue is a pervasive and debilitating symptom of RRMS. Our current ability to effectively treat MS fatigue is hindered by a poor understanding of its pathophysiology and likely multiple underlying etiologies. We recently reported endogenously elevated body temperature and its association to worse fatigue in RRMS patients. Elevated brain temperature was also recently reported in 108 RRMS patients compared to 103 healthy controls (Hasan et al, 2015). Here, we extend our temperature hypothesis of fatigue by investigating the association of elevated brain temperature and fatigue in RRMS patients.
DESIGN/METHODS: 10 RRMS patients (8 female) served. Brain temperature was non-invasively measured with magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-MRS) in a 3.0T Siemens Skyra scanner. Brain temperature was acquired from a 20x20x20mm voxel placed in right frontal cortex. Fatigue was measured with the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS).
RESULTS: Average brain temperature in our sample was 37.59°C +/- 1.10. Higher brain temperature was associated with worse fatigue (r=.354).
CONCLUSIONS: These findings support elevated brain temperature as a candidate underlying mechanism for fatigue in RRMS. Cooling therapies to treat MS fatigue (i.e., aspirin, cooling garments) have shown efficacy in a small number of studies; however, these investigations did not consider endogenous temperature elevations as a target or explanation for treatment efficacy. Greater understanding/acknowledgment of elevated brain temperature and its consequences for patients with MS will support novel cooling treatments for fatigue. Brain temperature may be a sensitive outcome variable to consider for use in clinical trials.
Victoria Leavitt2, Alayar Kangarlu1, Feng Liu3, Claire Riley2 and James Sumowski4
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To test the association of brain temperature and fatigue in patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).
BACKGROUND: Fatigue is a pervasive and debilitating symptom of RRMS. Our current ability to effectively treat MS fatigue is hindered by a poor understanding of its pathophysiology and likely multiple underlying etiologies. We recently reported endogenously elevated body temperature and its association to worse fatigue in RRMS patients. Elevated brain temperature was also recently reported in 108 RRMS patients compared to 103 healthy controls (Hasan et al, 2015). Here, we extend our temperature hypothesis of fatigue by investigating the association of elevated brain temperature and fatigue in RRMS patients.
DESIGN/METHODS: 10 RRMS patients (8 female) served. Brain temperature was non-invasively measured with magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-MRS) in a 3.0T Siemens Skyra scanner. Brain temperature was acquired from a 20x20x20mm voxel placed in right frontal cortex. Fatigue was measured with the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS).
RESULTS: Average brain temperature in our sample was 37.59°C +/- 1.10. Higher brain temperature was associated with worse fatigue (r=.354).
CONCLUSIONS: These findings support elevated brain temperature as a candidate underlying mechanism for fatigue in RRMS. Cooling therapies to treat MS fatigue (i.e., aspirin, cooling garments) have shown efficacy in a small number of studies; however, these investigations did not consider endogenous temperature elevations as a target or explanation for treatment efficacy. Greater understanding/acknowledgment of elevated brain temperature and its consequences for patients with MS will support novel cooling treatments for fatigue. Brain temperature may be a sensitive outcome variable to consider for use in clinical trials.