BACKGROUND Multiple sclerosis may damage cognitive performance in several domains, including attention. Although attention network deficits were described during rest, studies that investigate their function during task performance are scarce. OBJECTIVE To investigate connectivity within and between task-related networks in multiple sclerosis during a visual attention task as a function of cognitive performance. METHODS A total of 23 relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients and 29 healthy controls underwent task-functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans using a visual attention paradigm on a 3T scanner. Scans were analysed using tensor-independent component analysis (TICA). Functional connectivity was calculated within and between components. We assessed cognitive function with the Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS (BICAMS) battery. RESULTS TICA extracted components related to visual processing, attention, executive function and the default-mode network. Subject scores of visual/attention-related and executive components were greater in healthy controls (p < 0.032, p < 0.023). Connectivity between visual/attention-related and default-mode components was higher in patients (p < 0.043), correlating with Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R) scores (R = -0.48, p < 0.036). Patients showed reduced connectivity between the right intraparietal sulcus (rIPS) and frontal eye field (rFEF), and bilateral frontal eye fields (p < 0.012, p < 0.003). Reduced rIPS-rFEF connectivity came with lower Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT)/BVMT-R scores in patients (R = 0.53, p < 0.02, R = 0.46, p < 0.049). CONCLUSION Attention-related networks show altered connectivity during task performance in RRMS patients, scaling with cognitive disability.

中文翻译：

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多发性硬化症注意力调节视觉处理过程中大脑网络功能的改变

背景多发性硬化症可能会损害多个领域的认知能力，包括注意力。尽管在休息期间描述了注意力网络缺陷，但研究其在任务执行期间的功能的研究很少。目的 调查视觉注意任务期间多发性硬化症中任务相关网络内部和之间的连通性作为认知表现的函数。方法 共有 23 名复发缓解型多发性硬化症 (RRMS) 患者和 29 名健康对照者在 3T 扫描仪上使用视觉注意范式进行了任务功能磁共振成像 (fMRI) 扫描。使用张量独立分量分析 (TICA) 分析扫描。计算组件内部和组件之间的功能连接。我们使用 MS 简要国际认知评估 (BICAMS) 电池组评估认知功能。结果 TICA 提取了与视觉处理、注意力、执行功能和默认模式网络相关的组件。在健康对照中，受试者的视觉/注意力相关和执行成分得分更高（p < 0.032，p < 0.023）。患者的视觉/注意力相关和默认模式组件之间的连接性更高（p < 0.043），与简短视觉空间记忆测试修订版 (BVMT-R) 分数相关（R = -0.48，p < 0.036）。患者显示右侧顶内沟 (rIPS) 和额叶视野 (rFEF) 以及双侧额叶视野之间的连通性降低 (p < 0.012, p < 0.003)。rIPS-rFEF 连接性降低伴随着患者符号数字模态测试 (SDMT)/BVMT-R 评分降低（R = 0.53，p < 0.02，R = 0.46，p < 0.049）。结论注意相关网络在 RRMS 患者的任务执行过程中显示出改变的连接性，随认知障碍而变化。