Research suggests that disruption of brain networks might explain cognitive deficits in multiple sclerosis (MS). The reliability and effectiveness of graph theoretic network metrics as measures of cognitive performance were tested in 37 people with MS and 23 controls. Specifically, relationships with cognitive performance (linear regression against the paced auditory serial addition test-3 seconds [PASAT-3], symbol digit modalities test [SDMT], and attention network test) and 1-month reliability (using the intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]) of network metrics were measured using both resting-state functional and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging data. Cognitive impairment was directly related to measures of brain network segregation and inversely related to network integration (prediction of PASAT-3 by small worldness, modularity, characteristic path length, R2 = 0.55; prediction of SDMT by small worldness, global efficiency, and characteristic path length, R2 = 0.60). Reliability of the measures for 1 month in a subset of nine participants was mostly rated as good (ICC >0.6) for both controls and MS patients in both functional and diffusion data, but was highly dependent on the chosen parcellation and graph density, with the 0.2-0.5 density range being the most reliable. This suggests that disrupted network organization predicts cognitive impairment in MS and its measurement is reliable for a 1-month period. These new findings support the hypothesis of network disruption as a major determinant of cognitive deficits in MS and the future possibility of the application of derived metrics as surrogate outcomes in trials of therapies for cognitive impairment.

中文翻译：

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图论分析在多发性硬化症中的脑连接组学：可靠性及其与认知的关系。

研究表明，大脑网络的破坏可能解释了多发性硬化症（MS）中的认知缺陷。在37名MS患者和23名对照中测试了图论网络指标作为认知表现指标的可靠性和有效性。具体而言，与认知表现（对步伐听觉序列加性测试3秒[PASAT-3]，符号数字模态测试[SDMT]和注意力网络测试的线性回归）和1个月可靠性（使用类内相关系数[使用静态功能和扩散磁共振成像数据测量网络指标的ICC]。认知障碍与脑网络隔离的度量直接相关，与网络整合呈负相关（通过小规模，模块化，特性路径长度，R2 = 0.55；小世界，全球效率和特征路径长度来预测SDMT，R2 = 0.60）。在功能和扩散数据中，对对照组和MS患者而言，在9名参与者的一部分中，1个月内措施的可靠性总体上被评为良好（ICC> 0.6），但高度依赖于所选的碎片和图密度，并且0.2-0.5的密度范围是最可靠的。这表明受干扰的网络组织可以预测MS的认知障碍，并且其测量在1个月内是可靠的。这些新发现支持网络中断是MS认知缺陷的主要决定因素的假说，也支持在认知障碍治疗试验中应用衍生指标作为替代结果的未来可能性。