Tissue integrity and functional connectivity in the cervical spinal cord were assessed with diffusion tensor imaging and resting-state fMRI in a group of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis participants with low disability and healthy controls. Lower fractional anisotropy and higher radial diffusivity, markers of tissue damage, were associated with higher dorsal network connectivity in the patient group, but not in controls. These results suggest that increased connectivity may represent a compensatory mechanism in response to structural damage, in order to maintain relatively preserved clinical function in this group.
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