Shelley Nicole, Judge Bradley, Yablonskiy Dmitriy A, Naismith Robert T, Brier Matthew R, Cross Anne H
Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA.
Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA.
Ann Clin Transl Neurol. 2025 Jun;12(6):1100-1108. doi: 10.1002/acn3.70020. Epub 2025 Mar 13.
The claustrum is a small, thin structure of predominantly gray matter with broad connectivity and enigmatic function. Little is known regarding the impact of claustrum pathology in multiple sclerosis (MS).
This study assessed whether claustrum volume was reduced in MS and whether reductions were associated with specific disability domains. We compared the impact of claustrum volume reductions on neurological disability versus the well-studied thalamus. Data from the 15,793 participants in the MS PATHS study were used for primary analyses. A second cohort of 71 people with MS and healthy controls from our center was used for validation.
Claustrum and thalamic volumes were reduced to a similar degree across MS types. Claustrum volume, like thalamic volume, was associated with disability measures of walking speed, upper extremity dexterity, and cognition. Partial correlation analyses supported that both claustrum and thalamic volumes independently contribute to disability. Interestingly, claustrum volume outperformed thalamic volume as a predictor of future disability progression.
This study suggests that damage and resulting atrophy to the claustrum may be an important component of MS-related disability.
屏状核是一个小而薄的结构，主要由灰质组成，具有广泛的连接性和神秘的功能。关于屏状核病变在多发性硬化症（MS）中的影响，人们知之甚少。
本研究评估了MS患者的屏状核体积是否减小，以及体积减小是否与特定的残疾领域相关。我们比较了屏状核体积减小对神经功能残疾的影响与对已得到充分研究的丘脑的影响。MS PATHS研究中15793名参与者的数据用于初步分析。来自我们中心的71名MS患者和健康对照组成的第二个队列用于验证。
在不同类型的MS中，屏状核和丘脑的体积减小程度相似。屏状核体积与丘脑体积一样，与步行速度、上肢灵活性和认知能力的残疾测量指标相关。偏相关分析支持屏状核和丘脑体积均独立导致残疾。有趣的是，作为未来残疾进展的预测指标，屏状核体积优于丘脑体积。
本研究表明，屏状核的损伤及由此导致的萎缩可能是MS相关残疾的一个重要组成部分。
