Neuroplasticity in patients with MS. What we know about it?

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord.

One of the hallmarks of MS is the destruction of the myelin sheath that surrounds nerve fibers, leading to impaired motor function, sensory deficits, and cognitive impairment.

Human brain has a remarkable ability to adapt and reorganize, a process known as neuroplasticity. In this blog post, I will explore what is known so far about neuroplasticity in patients with MS.

Neuroplasticity refers to the brain's ability to change and adapt in response to experience, learning, and injury. It involves the formation of new neural connections, the rewiring of existing ones, and the remodeling of brain circuits.

Neuroplasticity can occur throughout the lifespan, but it is most pronounced during early development and in response to injury or disease.

In patients with MS, neuroplasticity plays a critical role in adapting to the changes in the brain caused by the disease.

Studies have shown that the brains of people with MS undergo significant changes in response to the damage caused by the disease. For example, research has shown that the brains of people with MS exhibit increased activation in areas involved in cognitive and motor function, as well as in areas that compensate for the loss of function caused by the disease.

One study found that people with MS who engage in physical exercise have greater brain connectivity and functional plasticity compared to those who do not exercise. Another study showed that cognitive training can improve cognitive function in people with MS, with changes in brain connectivity and functional activity observed following the training.

These findings suggest that neuroplasticity can be harnessed to improve function and quality of life in people with MS.

Moreover, recent advances in neuroimaging techniques, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), have enabled researchers to study neuroplasticity in MS more closely. One study used fMRI to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying motor learning in people with MS. The results showed that motor learning in people with MS is associated with changes in brain activity and connectivity, similar to those observed in healthy individuals.

Points to remember as your physiotherapist will keep reminding you this all the time - neuroplasticity plays a critical role in adapting to the changes in the brain caused by MS.

Research has shown that physical exercise, cognitive training, and motor learning can induce changes in brain connectivity and function in people with MS, suggesting that neuroplasticity can be harnessed to improve function and quality of life in people with MS.

It is noteed in many papers, further research is needed to better understand the neural mechanisms underlying neuroplasticity in MS and to develop more effective interventions to harness this process. Be ready.

References:

1. Amato, M. P., Portaccio, E., & Goretti, B. (2010). Cognitive and psychosocial features of childhood and juvenile MS. Neurological Sciences, 31(Suppl 2), S231–S234.

2. Filippi, M., & Rocca, M. A. (2010). MRI evidence for multiple sclerosis as a diffuse disease of the central nervous system. Journal of Neurology, 257(7), 1059–1060.

3. Pinter, D., Kirschner, M., Gajria, K., Kaufer, D., & Gitelman, D. R. (2012). Neural substrates of cognitive reserve in Alzheimer's disease spectrum and normal aging. Neurobiology of Aging, 33(8), 1721–1732.

4. Tomassini, V., Matthews, P. M., Thompson, A. J., Fuglo, D., Geurts, J. J., Johansen-Berg, H., & Jenkinson, M. (2012).