• HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
Thursday, October 23, 2025
BIOENGINEER.ORG
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
No Result
View All Result
Bioengineer.org
No Result
View All Result
Home NEWS Science News

Mental fatigue of multiple sclerosis linked to inefficient recruitment of neural resources

Bioengineer by Bioengineer
July 28, 2020
in Science News
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
IMAGE
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on RedditShare on Telegram

Using fMRI and a modified Symbol Digit Modalities Test, MS experts at Kessler Foundation found significant differences in effects of mental fatigue on brain activation patterns between individuals with and without multiple sclerosis

IMAGE

Credit: Kessler Foundation

East Hanover, NJ. July 28, 2020. Researchers at Kessler Foundation conducted a pilot study comparing the effects of mental fatigue on brain activation patterns in people with and without multiple sclerosis (MS). Their findings indicate significant differences between the two groups in their recruitment of neural resources in response to increased task demands. The article, “Neural mechanisms underlying state mental fatigue in multiple sclerosis: A pilot study,” was published in the Journal of Neurology on April 29, 2020. (Doi: 10.1007/s00415-09853-w) The authors are Michelle H. Chen, PhD, Glenn Wylie, DPhil, Rosalia Dacosta-Aguayo, PhD, John DeLuca, PhD, and Helen Genova, PhD, of Kessler Foundation, and Brian M. Sandroff, PhD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

This pilot study extended the Foundation’s investigation into the neural correlates of mental fatigue in MS. Mental fatigue comprises two types, state and trait, which are typically measured subjectively. The current study focused on state fatigue, which fluctuates over minutes to hours; trait fatigue is stable over longer periods, usually weeks.

The study comprised 36 participants, 19 with MS, and 17 controls. Participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while performing the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), a standard cognitive test modified for use with fMRI. Changes in brain activity were recorded while the SDMT was administered under two conditions: high and low cognitive loads. Neuroimaging studies were conducted at the research-dedicated Rocco Ortenzio Neuroimaging Center at Kessler Foundation.

“We found higher levels of fatigue and longer response times in the MS group,” said Dr. Chen, postdoctoral fellow in the Center for Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Research at Kessler Foundation. “With increasing mental fatigue, the control group showed increased activation of the anterior brain regions and faster speed of response, to meet the demands of the high load condition, ” added Dr. Chen. “The MS group did not show activation of these regions or an increase in processing speed, suggesting a less efficient response to the higher cognitive demands of the task.”

Results of the pilot study were consistent with prior research into the functional reorganization of brain activity in response to mental fatigue, according to Dr. Genova, assistant director of the Center for Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Research. “In the absence of effective treatment for the disabling fatigue that affects many individuals with MS, it is essential to expand our understanding of these underlying brain mechanisms. Using fMRI allows us to determine how individuals with MS differ from their peers without MS in their cerebral responses to cognitive challenges, an important first step in the development of interventions to counter mental fatigue.”

###

Abstract link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32350648/

Funding sources: National Multiple Sclerosis Society (CA1069-A-7, MB-1606-08779, RG4232A1); Kessler Foundation

About Kessler Foundation

Kessler Foundation, a major nonprofit organization in the field of disability, is a global leader in rehabilitation research that seeks to improve cognition, mobility and long-term outcomes, including employment, for people with neurological disabilities caused by diseases and injuries of the brain and spinal cord. Kessler Foundation leads the nation in funding innovative programs that expand opportunities for employment for people with disabilities. For more information, visit KesslerFoundation.org.

For more information, or to interview an expert, contact: Carolann Murphy, 973.324.8382, [email protected].

Media Contact
Carolann Murphy, PA
[email protected]

Related Journal Article

http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00415-09853-w

Tags: Biomedical/Environmental/Chemical EngineeringClinical TrialsDisabled PersonsMedicine/HealthMemory/Cognitive ProcessesneurobiologyQuality of LifeRehabilitation/Prosthetics/Plastic Surgery
Share12Tweet8Share2ShareShareShare2

Related Posts

blank

Allosteric Modulators Shift GPCR G Protein Selectivity

October 23, 2025
Tidal Volume and Peak Pressure: Key Predictors in Jet Ventilation

Tidal Volume and Peak Pressure: Key Predictors in Jet Ventilation

October 23, 2025

TU Graz Explores Preservation of Endangered Cultural Heritage in the Western Himalayas

October 23, 2025

SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccines Boost Tumor Immunotherapy

October 23, 2025
Please login to join discussion

POPULAR NEWS

  • Sperm MicroRNAs: Crucial Mediators of Paternal Exercise Capacity Transmission

    1275 shares
    Share 509 Tweet 318
  • Stinkbug Leg Organ Hosts Symbiotic Fungi That Protect Eggs from Parasitic Wasps

    307 shares
    Share 123 Tweet 77
  • ESMO 2025: mRNA COVID Vaccines Enhance Efficacy of Cancer Immunotherapy

    159 shares
    Share 64 Tweet 40
  • New Study Suggests ALS and MS May Stem from Common Environmental Factor

    132 shares
    Share 53 Tweet 33

About

We bring you the latest biotechnology news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Follow us

Recent News

Allosteric Modulators Shift GPCR G Protein Selectivity

Tidal Volume and Peak Pressure: Key Predictors in Jet Ventilation

TU Graz Explores Preservation of Endangered Cultural Heritage in the Western Himalayas

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 66 other subscribers
  • Contact Us

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Homepages
    • Home Page 1
    • Home Page 2
  • News
  • National
  • Business
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.