Abstract #4072

Influence of cognitive impairment and depression on cortical thinning in patients with multiple sclerosis

Paola Valsasina¹, Maria Assunta Rocca¹, Emanuele Pravatà^1,2, Gianna Riccitelli¹, Giancarlo Comi³, Andrea Falini⁴, and Massimo Filippi¹

¹Neuroimaging Research Unit, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy, ²Department of Neuroradiology, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, Lugano, Switzerland, ³Department of Neurology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy, ⁴Department of Neuroradiology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy

In this study, we investigated cortical thickness abnormalities associated with cognitive impairment and depression in 126 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Compared with controls, MS patients exhibited a widespread bilateral cortical thinning involving all brain lobes. While cognitive impairment was associated with atrophy of regions located in the fronto-parietal lobes (including the middle and superior frontal gyrus, the inferior parietal lobule and the precuneus), depression was linked to atrophy of the orbitofrontal cortex. This study shows that cortical thickness analysis was able to detect specific effects of clinical symptoms on cortical atrophy in MS.

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