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Dilated perivascular spaces and fatigue: is there a link? Magnetic resonance retrospective 3Tesla study

  • Diagnostic Neuroradiology
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Abstract

Introduction

Fatigue (F) is a common, inexplicable, and disabling symptom in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a possible correlation between fatigue and morpho-volumetric features and site of dilated perivascular spaces (dPS), visible on 3T magnetic resonance (MR) in fatigued multiple sclerosis patients (FMS).

Methods

We studied 82 relapsing remitting (RR) FMS patients and 43 HC, matched for age, sex, and education. F was assessed by the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). To evaluate a possible correlation between degree of F and characteristics of dPS, patients were divided in two groups: more (mFMS) (FSS ≥ 5; n = 30) and less fatigued (lFMS) (FSS ≥ 4; n = 52), compared to a matched healthy control (HC) subject group. The MR study was performed with 3T scanner by SpinEcho T1, Fast-SpinEcho DP-T2, FLAIR, and 3D FSPGR T1 sequences. dPS volumes were measured with Medical Image Processing Analysis and Visualization (MIPAV); Global Cerebral Atrophy (GCA), expressed as Brain Parenchymal Fraction (BPF), was assessed by FSL SIENAX.

Results

The t test showed significantly increased dPS number (p = 0.021) in FMS patients (mFMS p = 0.0024 and lFMS p = 0.033) compared to HC. Pearson correlation revealed a significant correlation between dPS number and FSS (r = 0.208 p = 0.051). Furthermore, the chi-squared test confirms the intragroup (HC, mFMS, lFMS) differences about dPS location (p = 0.01) and size (p = 0.0001).

Conclusion

Our study confirms that PS in MS patients presents with different volumetric and site characteristics as compared to HC; moreover, F severity significantly correlates with dPS number, site, and size.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neuroradiology Service, Department of Radiology, Second University of Naples, C/o CTO Viale dei Colli Aminei 21, Naples, Italy

    Renata Conforti, Mario Cirillo, Angela Sardaro, Alberto Negro & Sossio Cirillo

  2. MRI Research Center SUN-FISM, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy

    Giuseppina Caiazzo & Antonella Paccone

  3. Department of Neurology, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy

    Rosaria Sacco, Maddalena Sparaco, Antonio Gallo, Luigi Lavorgna & Gioacchino Tedeschi

Authors
  1. Renata Conforti
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  2. Mario Cirillo
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  3. Angela Sardaro
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  4. Giuseppina Caiazzo
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  5. Alberto Negro
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  6. Antonella Paccone
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  7. Rosaria Sacco
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  8. Maddalena Sparaco
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  9. Antonio Gallo
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  10. Luigi Lavorgna
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  11. Gioacchino Tedeschi
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  12. Sossio Cirillo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Angela Sardaro.

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We declare that this manuscript does not contain clinical studies or patient data.

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We declare that we have no conflict of interest.

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Conforti, R., Cirillo, M., Sardaro, A. et al. Dilated perivascular spaces and fatigue: is there a link? Magnetic resonance retrospective 3Tesla study. Neuroradiology 58, 859–866 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-016-1711-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-016-1711-0

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