Multiple sclerosis patients show a highly significant decrease in alpha band interhemispheric synchronization measured using MEG

• Published in: NeuroImage (Orlando, Fla.) Vol. 29; no. 3; pp. 783 - 788
• Main Authors: Cover, Keith S., Vrenken, Hugo, Geurts, Jeroen J.G., van Oosten, Bob W., Jelles, Brechtje, Polman, Chris H., Stam, Cornelis J., van Dijk, Bob W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.02.2006; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adult; Age; Alpha Rhythm; Brain Mapping; Brain research; Cortical Synchronization; Data Interpretation, Statistical; Disability Evaluation; Disease; Electroencephalography; Female; Functional Laterality - physiology; Humans; Magnetoencephalography; Male; Medical research; Middle Aged; Multiple sclerosis; Multiple Sclerosis - physiopathology; Patients; Reproducibility of Results; Studies
• ISSN: 1053-8119; 1095-9572
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2005.08.048

MEG data were acquired from a group of relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and a group of healthy controls, using an eyes-closed no-task condition. An interhemispheric coherence measure (IHCM), reflecting the synchronization between the left and right hemispheres, showed a decrease in the patients, particularly in the alpha band. No comparable differences were seen in the alpha band power or its distribution over the head. The observed difference is in agreement with a reduced long-range connectivity in the brains of MS patients. The IHCM was found to be reproducible in controls over a period of more than 15 months. Further studies should investigate whether MEG derived synchronization measures may be useful as markers for MS disease load.