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STUDY: Sex definitely matters in MS

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  • STUDY: Sex definitely matters in MS

    Whoa, whoa, I mean male/female. Don't read too much between the lines. Women get it more often, but guys get it rougher. Boy, that still sounds bad. - Dave

    Gender-related differences in functional connectivity in multiple sclerosis
    Menno M Schoonheim m.schoonheim@vumc.nl
    Dept of Radiology/Anatomy & Neuroscience, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    Hanneke E Hulst
    Dept of Radiology/Anatomy & Neuroscience, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    Doriana Landi
    Department of Neurology, “Campus Bio-Medico” University, Rome, Italy
    Olga Ciccarelli
    Department of Brain Repair and Rehabilitation, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
    Stefan D Roosendaal
    Department of Radiology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    Ernesto J Sanz-Arigita
    Department of Radiology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    Hugo Vrenken
    Department of Radiology/Department of Physics and Medical Technology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    Chris H Polman
    Department of Neurology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    Cornelis J Stam
    Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    Frederik Barkhof
    Department of Radiology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    Jeroen JG Geurts
    Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Abstract

    Background: Gender effects are strong in multiple sclerosis (MS), with male patients showing a worse clinical outcome than female patients. Functional reorganization of neural activity may contribute to limit disability, and possible gender differences in this process may have important clinical implications.

    Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore gender-related changes in functional connectivity and network efficiency in MS patients. Additionally, we explored the association of functional changes with cognitive function.

    Methods: Sixty subjects were included in the study, matched for age, education level and intelligence quotient (IQ). Male and female patients were matched for disability, disease duration and white matter lesion load. Two cognitive domains often impaired in MS, i.e. visuospatial memory and information processing speed, were evaluated in all subjects. Functional connectivity between brain regions and network efficiency was explored using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and graph analysis. Differences in cognitive and functional characteristics between groups, and correlations with cognitive performance, were examined.

    Results: Male patients showed worse performance on cognitive tests than female and male controls, while female patients were cognitively normal. Decreases in functional connectivity and network efficiency, observed in male patients, correlated with reduced visuospatial memory (r = −0.6 and r = −0.5, respectively). In the control group, no cognitive differences were found between genders, despite differences in functional connectivity between healthy men and women.

    Conclusions: Functional connectivity differences were found in male patients only and were related to impaired visuospatial memory. These results underline the importance of gender in MS and require further investigation in larger and longitudinal studies.
    Dave Bexfield
    ActiveMSers

  • #2
    Thanks for the chuckle dave!

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