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.