A Pilot Study of Changes in Functional Brain Activity during a Working Memory Task after mSMT Treatment: the MEMREHAB Trial

• Published in: Multiple sclerosis and related disorders Vol. 7; pp. 76 - 82
• Main Authors: Huiskamp, M, Dobryakova, E, Wylie, G.D, DeLuca, J, Chiaravalloti, N.D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01-05-2016
• Subjects: Brain - physiopathology; Brain Mapping; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - methods; Cognitive rehabilitation; Double-Blind Method; Female; fMRI; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Memory, Short-Term - physiology; Middle Aged; mSMT; Multiple Sclerosis; Multiple Sclerosis - physiopathology; Multiple Sclerosis - psychology; Multiple Sclerosis - rehabilitation; Neurology; Neuropsychological Tests; Pilot Projects; Treatment Outcome; Working memory; Multiple Sclerosis; fMRI; working memory; mSMT; cognitive rehabilitation; Cognitive rehabilitation; Working memory
• ISSN: 2211-0348; 2211-0356
• DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2016.03.012

Abstract Background Working memory deficits are common in multiple sclerosis (MS). The modified Story Memory Technique (mSMT) has been shown to improve new learning and memory in MS, but its effects on working memory (WM) are currently unknown. Objective The present study presents a secondary analysis of data from a larger double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial and examines changes in cerebral activation on a WM task following mSMT treatment. Methods Sixteen participants with clinically definite MS were randomly assigned to treatment (n=7) or placebo-control groups (n=9) matched for gender, age and education. Baseline and immediate follow-up functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) was obtained for all subjects. During fMRI participants completed an N-back task, consisting of 0-, 1-and 2-back conditions. Results Significant increases in cerebral activation were noted in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, supplementary motor area and inferior parietal lobule at follow-up in the treatment group. No significant changes were noted in the placebo control group. Conclusion Due to the small sample size, results of the current study should be interpreted as preliminary. However, the observed pattern of activation of the frontoparietal network involved in WM found in the treatment group, suggests that mSMT training increases recruitment of attention- and WM-related neural networks. We conclude that mSMT treatment leads to changes in WM-related cerebral activation.