Cortical excitability changes over time in progressive multiple sclerosis

Lowered ratio of corticospinal excitation to inhibition predicts greater disability, poorer motor and cognitive function in multiple sclerosis

Objective

Investigate excitatory-inhibitory (E/I) (im)balance using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in individuals with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and determine its validity as a neurophysiological biomarker of disability.

Methods

Participants with MS (n = 83) underwent TMS, cognitive, and motor function assessments. TMS-induced motor evoked potential amplitudes (excitability) and cortical silent periods (inhibition) were assessed bilaterally through recruitment curves. The E/I ratio was calculated as the ratio of excitation to inhibition.

Results

Participants with greater disability (Expanded Disability Status Scale, EDSS≥3) exhibited lower excitability and increased inhibition compared to those with lower disability (EDSS<3). This resulted in lower E/I ratios in the higher disability group. Individuals with higher disability presented with asymmetrical E/I ratios between brain hemispheres, a pattern not present in the group with lower disability. In regression analyses controlling for demographics, lowered TMS-probed E/I ratio predicted variance in disability (R2 = 0.37, p < 0.001), upper extremity function (R2 = 0.35, p < 0.001), walking speed (R2 = 0.22, p = 0.005), and cognitive performance (R2 = 0.25, p = 0.007). Receiver Operating Characteristic curve analysis confirmed 'excellent' discriminative ability of the E/I ratio in distinguishing high and low disability. Finally, excitation superiorly correlated with the E/I ratio than overall inhibition in both hemispheres (p ≤ 0.01).

Conclusion

The E/I ratio is a potential neurophysiological biomarker of disability level in MS, especially when assessed in the hemisphere corresponding to the weaker body side. Interventions aimed at increasing cortical excitation or reducing inhibition may restore E/I balance potentially stalling progression or improving function in MS.

Brain stimulation for patients with multiple sclerosis: an umbrella review of therapeutic efficacy

Multiple sclerosis patients often experience various symptoms that can greatly impact their quality of life. There are various brain stimulation techniques that have been evaluated for their ability to reduce the symptoms of multiple sclerosis. However, there is inconsistency in the specific stimulation methods used and the symptoms targeted in the existing research. This umbrella review conducted in order to evaluate the effectiveness of brain stimulation and identify limitations and gaps for further research. In this umbrella review, we conducted a searched on Web of Knowledge, PubMed, and Scopus database. We specifically looked for reviews, with or without meta-analyses, that have investigated the effects of brain stimulation methods on symptoms of multiple sclerosis. All articles were examined by AMSTAR 2 (A Measure Tool to Assess Systematic Review 2). We identified 155 articles, of which 14 were eligible for inclusion. Of those, five were qualitative studies and nine were meta-analyses. Among the included studies, four examined the use of deep brain stimulation, while ten investigated the therapeutic potential of noninvasive brain stimulation. Considering the heterogeneity of studies, the current evidence suggests that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation may be effective in treating pain and improving motor function, while transcranial direct current stimulation may be useful in alleviating fatigue and enhancing certain aspects of cognitive performance. Deep brain stimulation, on the other hand, appears to be effective in reducing tremors. However, further research is warranted to validate these findings and address the existing limitations in the field.

A comprehensive review of transcranial magnetic stimulation in secondary dementia

Although primary degenerative diseases are the main cause of dementia, a non-negligible proportion of patients is affected by a secondary and potentially treatable cognitive disorder. Therefore, diagnostic tools able to early identify and monitor them and to predict the response to treatment are needed. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive neurophysiological technique capable of evaluating in vivo and in “real time” the motor areas, the cortico-spinal tract, and the neurotransmission pathways in several neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, including cognitive impairment and dementia. While consistent evidence has been accumulated for Alzheimer’s disease, other degenerative cognitive disorders, and vascular dementia, to date a comprehensive review of TMS studies available in other secondary dementias is lacking. These conditions include, among others, normal-pressure hydrocephalus, multiple sclerosis, celiac disease and other immunologically mediated diseases, as well as a number of inflammatory, infective, metabolic, toxic, nutritional, endocrine, sleep-related, and rare genetic disorders. Overall, we observed that, while in degenerative dementia neurophysiological alterations might mirror specific, and possibly primary, neuropathological changes (and hence be used as early biomarkers), this pathogenic link appears to be weaker for most secondary forms of dementia, in which neurotransmitter dysfunction is more likely related to a systemic or diffuse neural damage. In these cases, therefore, an effort toward the understanding of pathological mechanisms of cognitive impairment should be made, also by investigating the relationship between functional alterations of brain circuits and the specific mechanisms of neuronal damage triggered by the causative disease. Neurophysiologically, although no distinctive TMS pattern can be identified that might be used to predict the occurrence or progression of cognitive decline in a specific condition, some TMS-associated measures of cortical function and plasticity (such as the short-latency afferent inhibition, the short-interval intracortical inhibition, and the cortical silent period) might add useful information in most of secondary dementia, especially in combination with suggestive clinical features and other diagnostic tests. The possibility to detect dysfunctional cortical circuits, to monitor the disease course, to probe the response to treatment, and to design novel neuromodulatory interventions in secondary dementia still represents a gap in the literature that needs to be explored.

High Estrogen Levels Cause Greater Leg Muscle Fatigability in Eumenorrheic Young Women after 4 mA Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) research has shown great outcome variability in motor performance tasks, with one possible source being sex differences. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of estrogen levels on leg muscle fatigability during a fatigue task (FT) after 4 mA tDCS over the left motor cortex (M1). Ten young, healthy eumenorrheic women received 4 mA anodal active or sham stimulation over the left M1 during periods of high and low estrogen levels. A fatigue index (FI) was calculated to quantify fatigability, and the electromyography (EMG) of the knee extensors and flexors was recorded during the FT. The findings showed that tDCS applied during high estrogen levels resulted in greater leg muscle fatigability. Furthermore, a significant increase in EMG activity of the right knee extensors was observed during periods of active stimulation, independent of estrogen level. These results suggest that estrogen levels should be considered in tDCS studies with young healthy women.

The Role of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation as a Surrogate Marker of Disease Activity in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: A Literature Review

OBJECTIVE

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by demyelination, axonal degeneration, and cognitive impairment. It also has an important impact on the quality of life of patients and their family members. We sought to determine if transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a valid instrument for determining disease progression activity in patients with MS.

METHODS

A literature search of the PubMed database was conducted using the terms "multiple sclerosis," "transcranial magnetic stimulation," and "neurophysiological parameters."

RESULTS

Neurophysiological parameters, such as sensitivity to demyelination and the strength of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic interactions in the cerebral cortex, can be identified through TMS in patients affected by MS. These objective parameters can be correlated with the progression of disease and provide reliable indices for the severity of illness and the efficacy of drugs used to treat MS in clinical trials.

CONCLUSION

The discovery of specific and detailed neurophysiological parameters as surrogate endpoints for disease activity could represent an important step in clinical trials. Changes in cortical connectivity have already been demonstrated in MS, but in clinical practice, other measures are typically used to evaluate disease activity. We speculate that TMS might be more effective in identifying disease progression that leads to long-term disability, compared to standard surrogate markers, since it represents a direct measure of synaptic transmission(s) in MS.

The Upper Motor Neuron-Improved Knowledge from ALS and Related Clinical Disorders

Upper motor neuron (UMN) is a term traditionally used for the corticospinal or pyramidal tract neuron synapsing with the lower motor neuron (LMN) in the anterior horns of the spinal cord. The upper motor neuron controls resting muscle tone and helps initiate voluntary movement of the musculoskeletal system by pathways which are not completely understood. Dysfunction of the upper motor neuron causes the classical clinical signs of spasticity, weakness, brisk tendon reflexes and extensor plantar response, which are associated with clinically well-recognised, inherited and acquired disorders of the nervous system. Understanding the pathophysiology of motor system dysfunction in neurological disease has helped promote a greater understanding of the motor system and its complex cortical connections. This review will focus on the pathophysiology underlying progressive dysfunction of the UMN in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and three other related adult-onset, progressive neurological disorders with prominent UMN signs, namely, primary lateral sclerosis, hereditary spastic paraplegia and primary progressive multiple sclerosis, to help promote better understanding of the human motor system and, by extension, related cortical systems.

Validation of Quantitative Scores Derived From Motor Evoked Potentials in the Assessment of Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis: A Longitudinal Study

Objective: To evaluate the sensitivity to change of differently calculated quantitative scores from motor evoked potentials (MEP) in patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). Methods: Twenty patients with PPMS had MEP to upper and lower limbs at baseline, years 1 and 2 measured in addition to clinical assessment [Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), ambulation score]; a subsample (n = 9) had a nine-hole peg test (NHPT) and a timed 25-foot walk (T25FW). Quantitative MEP scores for upper limbs (qMEP-UL), lower limbs (qMEP-LL), and all limbs (qMEP) were calculated in three different ways, based on z-transformed central motor conduction time (CMCT), shortest corticomuscular latency (CxM-sh), and mean CxM (CxM-mn). Changes in clinical measures and qMEP metrics were analyzed by repeated-measures analysis of variance (rANOVA), and a factor analysis was performed on change in qMEP metrics. Results: Expanded Disability Status Scale and ambulation score progressed in the rANOVA model (p < 0.05; post-hoc comparison baseline-year 2, p < 0.1). Lower limb and combined qMEP scores showed significant deterioration of latency (p < 0.01, MEP-LL_CxM-sh: p < 0.05) and in post-hoc comparisons (baseline-year 2, p < 0.05), qMEP_CxM-mn even over 1 year (p < 0.05). Effect sizes were higher for qMEP scores than for clinical measures, and slightly but consistently higher when based on CxM-mn compared to CxM-sh or CMCT. Subgroup analysis yielded no indication of higher sensitivity of timed clinical measures over qMEP scores. Two independent factors were detected, the first mainly associated with qMEP-LL, the second with qMEP-UL, explaining 65 and 29% of total variability, respectively. Conclusions: Deterioration in qMEP scores occurs earlier than EDSS progression in patients with PPMS. Upper and lower limb qMEP scores contribute independently to measuring change, and qMEP scores based on mean CxM are advantageous. The capability to detect subclinical changes longitudinally is a unique property of EP and complementary to clinical assessment. These features underline the role of EP as candidate biomarkers to measure effects of therapeutic interventions in PPMS.

Inflammation and Corticospinal Functioning in Multiple Sclerosis: A TMS Perspective

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been employed in multiple sclerosis (MS) to assess the integrity of the corticospinal tract and the corpus callosum and to explore some physiological properties of the motor cortex. Specific alterations of TMS measures have been strongly associated to different pathophysiological mechanisms, particularly to demyelination and neuronal loss. Moreover, TMS has contributed to investigate the neurophysiological basis of MS symptoms, particularly those not completely explained by conventional structural damage, such as fatigue. However, variability existing between studies suggests that alternative mechanisms should be involved. Knowledge of MS pathophysiology has been enriched by experimental studies in animal models (i.e., experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis) demonstrating that inflammation alters synaptic transmission, promoting hyperexcitability and neuronal damage. Accordingly, TMS studies have demonstrated an imbalance between cortical excitation and inhibition in MS. In particular, cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of different proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory molecules have been associated to corticospinal hyperexcitability, highlighting that inflammatory synaptopathy may represent a key pathophysiological mechanism in MS. In this perspective article, we discuss whether corticospinal excitability alterations assessed with TMS in MS patients could be useful to explain the pathophysiological correlates and their relationships with specific MS clinical characteristics and symptoms. Furthermore, we discuss evidence indicating that, in MS patients, inflammatory synaptopathy could be present since the early phases, could specifically characterize relapses, and could progressively increase during the disease course.

Myelination- and immune-mediated MR-based brain network correlates

Background

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS), characterized by inflammatory and neurodegenerative processes. Despite demyelination being a hallmark of the disease, how it relates to neurodegeneration has still not been completely unraveled, and research is still ongoing into how these processes can be tracked non-invasively. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) derived brain network characteristics, which closely mirror disease processes and relate to functional impairment, recently became important variables for characterizing immune-mediated neurodegeneration; however, their histopathological basis remains unclear.

Methods

In order to determine the MRI-derived correlates of myelin dynamics and to test if brain network characteristics derived from diffusion tensor imaging reflect microstructural tissue reorganization, we took advantage of the cuprizone model of general demyelination in mice and performed longitudinal histological and imaging analyses with behavioral tests. By introducing cuprizone into the diet, we induced targeted and consistent demyelination of oligodendrocytes, over a period of 5 weeks. Subsequent myelin synthesis was enabled by reintroduction of normal food.

Results

Using specific immune-histological markers, we demonstrated that 2 weeks of cuprizone diet induced a 52% reduction of myelin content in the corpus callosum (CC) and a 35% reduction in the neocortex. An extended cuprizone diet increased myelin loss in the CC, while remyelination commenced in the neocortex. These histologically determined dynamics were reflected by MRI measurements from diffusion tensor imaging. Demyelination was associated with decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) values and increased modularity and clustering at the network level. MRI-derived modularization of the brain network and FA reduction in key anatomical regions, including the hippocampus, thalamus, and analyzed cortical areas, were closely related to impaired memory function and anxiety-like behavior.

Conclusion

Network-specific remyelination, shown by histology and MRI metrics, determined amelioration of functional performance and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Taken together, we illustrate the histological basis for the MRI-driven network responses to demyelination, where increased modularity leads to evolving damage and abnormal behavior in MS. Quantitative information about in vivo myelination processes is mirrored by diffusion-based imaging of microstructural integrity and network characteristics.

Walking Training Enhances Corticospinal Excitability in Progressive Multiple Sclerosis-A Pilot Study

Background: Inflammatory lesions and neurodegeneration lead to motor, cognitive, and sensory impairments in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Accumulation of disability is at least partially due to diminished capacity for neuroplasticity within the central nervous system. Aerobic exercise is a potentially important intervention to enhance neuroplasticity since it causes upregulation of neurotrophins and enhances corticospinal excitability, which can be probed using single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Whether people with progressive MS who have accumulated substantial disability could benefit from walking rehabilitative training to enhance neuroplasticity is not known.

Objective: We aimed to determine whether 10 weeks of task-specific walking training would affect corticospinal excitability over time (pre, post, and 3-month follow-up) among people with progressive MS who required walking aids.

Results: Eight people with progressive MS (seven female; 29–74 years old) with an Expanded Disability Status Scale of 6–6.5 underwent harness-supported treadmill walking training in a temperature controlled room at 16°C (10 weeks; three times/week; 40 min at 40–65% heart rate reserve). After training, there was significantly higher corticospinal excitability in both brain hemispheres, reductions in TMS active motor thresholds, and increases in motor-evoked potential amplitudes and slope of the recruitment curve (REC). Decreased intracortical inhibition (shorter cortical silent period) after training was noted in the hemisphere corresponding to the stronger hand only. These effects were not sustained at follow-up. There was a significant relationship between increases in corticospinal excitability (REC, area under the curve) in the hemisphere corresponding to the stronger hand and lessening of both intensity and impact of fatigue on activities of daily living (Fatigue Severity Scale and Modified Fatigue Impact Scale, respectively).

Conclusion: Our pilot results support that vigorous treadmill training can potentially improve neuroplastic potential and mitigate symptoms of the disease even among people who have accumulated substantial disability due to MS.

Cortical Excitability Measures May Predict Clinical Response to Fampridine in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis and Gait Impairment

Background: Most multiple sclerosis (MS) patients will develop walking limitations during the disease. Sustained-release oral fampridine is the only approved drug that will improve gait in a subset of MS patients. Objectives: (1) Evaluate fampridine cortical excitability effect in MS patients with gait disability. (2) Investigate whether cortical excitability changes can predict the therapeutic response to fampridine. Method: This prospective observational study enrolled 20 adult patients with MS and gait impairment planned to receive fampridine 10 mg twice daily for two consecutive weeks. Exclusion criteria included: Recent relapse (<3 months), modification of disease modifying drugs (<6 months), or Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score >7. Neurological examination, timed 25-foot walk test (T25wt), EDSS, and cortical excitability studies were performed upon inclusion and 14 days after initiation of fampridine. Results: After treatment, the mean improvement of T25wt (ΔT25wt) was 4.9 s. Significant enhancement of intra-cortical facilitation was observed (139% versus 241%, p = 0.01) following treatment. A positive correlation was found between baseline resting motor threshold (rMT) and both EDSS (r = 0.57; p < 0.01) and ΔT25wt (r = 0.57, p = 0.01). rMT above 52% of the maximal stimulator output was found to be a good predictor of a favorable response to fampridine (accuracy: 75%). Discussion: Fampridine was found to have a significant modulatory effect on the cerebral cortex, demonstrated by an increase in excitatory intracortical processes as unveiled by paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation. rMT could be useful in selecting patients likely to experience a favorable response to fampridine.

Relationships between the integrity and function of lumbar nerve roots as assessed by diffusion tensor imaging and neurophysiology

Purpose

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has shown promise in the measurement of peripheral nerve integrity, although the optimal way to apply the technique for the study of lumbar spinal nerves is unclear. The aims of this study are to use an improved DTI acquisition to investigate lumbar nerve root integrity and correlate this with functional measures using neurophysiology.

Methods

Twenty healthy volunteers underwent 3 T DTI of the L5/S1 area. Regions of interest were applied to L5 and S1 nerve roots, and DTI metrics (fractional anisotropy, mean, axial and radial diffusivity) were derived. Neurophysiological measures were obtained from muscles innervated by L5/S1 nerves; these included the slope of motor-evoked potential input-output curves, F-wave latency, maximal motor response, and central and peripheral motor conduction times.

Results

DTI metrics were similar between the left and right sides and between vertebral levels. Conversely, significant differences in DTI measures were seen along the course of the nerves. Regression analyses revealed that DTI metrics of the L5 nerve correlated with neurophysiological measures from the muscle innervated by it.

Conclusion

The current findings suggest that DTI has the potential to be used for assessing lumbar spinal nerve integrity and that parameters derived from DTI provide quantitative information which reflects their function.