Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2004 Apr;85(4):635-9
Li Y, Chiaravalloti ND, Hillary FG, Deluca J, Liu WC, Kalnin AJ, Ricker
JH.
Southside Hospital, Bay Shore, NY, USA.
OBJECTIVE:
To explore the potential role of the cerebellum in working memory dysfunction in multiple sclerosis (MS).
DESIGN:
Blood oxygen level dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to examine cerebellar activation during a working memory task.
SETTING:
University-affiliated medical rehabilitation facility.
PARTICIPANTS:
Eight persons with MS and 5 healthy controls.
INTERVENTIONS:
Not applicable.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
Change in hemodynamic response.
fMRI data were acquired and subsequently analyzed by using Statistical Parametric Mapping.
RESULTS:
Both the control and MS groups showed significantly greater activations in the right cerebellar hemisphere as compared with the left side.
Persons with MS, however, showed no detectable activations in 4 cerebellar substructures that were significantly active in controls (ie, right vermis, right dentate nucleus, right tonsil, cerebellar peduncle).
CONCLUSIONS:
The significantly decreased cerebellar activation in the MS group suggests that the cerebellum may play a role in the working memory impairment observed in MS.