Maria A. Rocca1,
Martina Absinta1, Maria Pia Amato2, Angelo Ghezzi3,
Lucia Moiola4, Agnese Fiorino4, Pierangelo Veggiotti5,
Giancarlo Comi4, Massimo Filippi1, and the MS and
Neuroimaging Study Groups of the Italian Neurological Society6
1Neuroimaging
Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, San Raffaele Scientific
Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, MI, Italy; 2Department
of Neurology, University of Florence, Florence, FI, Italy; 3MS
Centre, Ospedale di Gallarate, Gallarate, VA, Italy; 4Department
of Neurology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele
University, Milan, MI, Italy; 5Child Neurology Unit, National
Neurological Institute C. Mondino, Pavia, PV, Italy; 6SIN, Siena,
SI, Italy
We combined structural and functional MRI techniques to improve our understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the presence and severity of cognitive impairment in 35 patients with pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS). We found that in pediatric MS patients, cognitive dysfunction is associated to structural and functional abnormalities of core regions of the default mode network located in the posterior brain, particularly the precuneus. Increased resting state functional connectivity of regions located in the frontal lobe might compensate for such a dysfunction and contribute to cognitive preservation.