Abstract Details

Title Pilot Investigation of the Relationship Between Hippocampal Volumes and Memory Deficits in Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (pMS)

Topic Aging, Dementia, and Behavioral Neurology

Presentation(s) P14 - Poster Session 14 (8:00 AM-9:00 AM)

Poster/Presentation
Number 10-003

Objective To preliminarily characterize the relationship between memory function and hippocampal sub-regions in a group of pMS patients (vs.healthy controls). Moreover, to identify which tests may be sensitive to MS-related hippocampal changes.

Background MS is a debilitating neurodegenerative disease often resulting in significant cognitive decline. The precise neural mechanisms responsible for impairment are largely unknown, in part because existing neuropsychological assessments are non-specific, unable to indicate which neural region or specific memory process is impaired. While recent studies have begun to explore the role of hippocampal degeneration in cognitive impairment at Relapse-Remitting MS onset, none have yet studied total and sub-region structure in association with memory function in progressive MS.

Design/Methods N=7 patients (target sample: n=20 pMS and 10 healthy) with primary or secondary pMS, 8-32 years post-diagnosis, intact MoCA scores (mean=27.4) and mean age of 50 (±4.3) were recruited. Memory was assessed based on traditional neuropsychological (CVLT-II, BVMT, SDMT) and experimental (MST, MIC, CMFT) measures. 3T MRI with Multiple Automatically Generated Templates (MAGeT) automatic segmentation protocol was employed for HC and subregion volume analysis.

Results Quality assurance showed high quality of automated segmentation. CVLT-II positively correlated with total hippocampal volumes bilaterally (r>.86, p<.01), dentate gyrus (DG)/CA4 bilaterally (r>.86, p<.01) and left CA1 (r=.87, p=.01). MST correlated positively with total left hippocampal volume (r=.88, p=.01), DG/CA4 bilaterally (r>.82, p<.02) and left CA1 (r=.80, p=.03) and CA2/CA3 (r=.85, p=.02).

Conclusions Better verbal memory, including ability to discriminate between highly similar yet distinct stimuli (high-interference memory) was related to larger total hippocampal volumes and left sub-structures in patients with pMS. Correlations between DG and memory performance are in-line with literature identifying DG as critical for: hippocampal neurogenesis, encoding/retrieval of novel stimuli, and discriminability functions. Findings show expected relationships between structure and function using automated imaging in later stages of pMS and provide support for larger ongoing study.

Authors/Disclosures
Julia Rybkina (Toronto Rehabilitation Institute) PRESENTER	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
Tania Bruno	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file

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Abstract Details