Network Analysis in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system, commonly featuring disability and cognitive impairment. The pathologic hallmark of MS lies in demyelination and hence impaired structural and functional neuronal pathways. Recent studies have shown that MS shows extensive structural disconnection of key network hub areas like the thalamus, combined with a functional network reorganization that can mostly be related to poorer clinical functioning. As MS can, therefore, be considered a network disorder, this review outlines recent innovations in the field of network neuroscience in MS.

Keywords: Brain networks; Diffusion MR imaging; Functional MR imaging; Graph theory; Multiple sclerosis; Structural MR imaging.