Colbert Kevin, Salazar Betsy, Mazeaud Charles, Hoffman Kristopher, Bayoumi Ahmed, Bernard Jessica A, Lincoln John, Khavari Rose
Texas A&M College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
Department of Urology, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
Clin Neuroimaging (Hoboken). 2025;2(1). doi: 10.1002/neo2.70022. Epub 2025 Jun 26.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD) affects over 80% of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), leading to significant morbidity and mortality due to storage and voiding dysfunction. This study aims to investigate the altered functional connectivity (FC) in cerebellar regions involved in bladder control in women with MS and NLUTD, compared to healthy controls, in both empty and full bladder states using concurrent urodynamics and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). METHODS: We recruited 11 women with clinically stable MS and NLUTD and 10 healthy controls. Brain imaging data was collected using 7T MRI scanners, and functional connectivity was analyzed with three cerebellar regions of interest (ROIs) associated with bladder control. Functional connectivity data was processed using the CONN toolbox, and FC patterns were compared between groups during both resting empty and full bladder states. RESULTS: In the empty bladder state, MS patients exhibited stronger intracerebellar FC, particularly in the right Crus 1, suggesting decreased motor control of the pelvic floor. Additionally, decreased FC was observed in the precuneus and prefrontal cortex, regions associated with bladder control. During the full bladder state, MS patients showed decreased FC in temporal, occipital, and prefrontal cortex, indicating impaired executive control over voiding. CONCLUSION: This study highlights altered cerebellar connectivity in MS patients with NLUTD, providing novel insights into the neural mechanisms underlying bladder dysfunction and identifying potential therapeutic targets for restoring continence.
背景与目的:神经源性下尿路功能障碍(NLUTD)影响超过80%的多发性硬化症(MS)患者,由于储尿和排尿功能障碍导致显著的发病率和死亡率。本研究旨在使用同步尿动力学和功能磁共振成像(fMRI),比较患有MS和NLUTD的女性与健康对照者在膀胱空虚和充盈状态下,参与膀胱控制的小脑区域功能连接(FC)的改变。 方法:我们招募了11名临床病情稳定的患有MS和NLUTD的女性以及10名健康对照者。使用7T MRI扫描仪收集脑成像数据,并对与膀胱控制相关的三个小脑感兴趣区域(ROI)进行功能连接分析。使用CONN工具箱处理功能连接数据,并比较两组在静息膀胱空虚和充盈状态下的FC模式。 结果:在膀胱空虚状态下,MS患者表现出更强的小脑内FC,特别是在右侧小脑脚1,提示盆底运动控制下降。此外,在楔前叶和前额叶皮质观察到FC降低,这些区域与膀胱控制相关。在膀胱充盈状态下,MS患者在颞叶、枕叶和前额叶皮质表现出FC降低,表明排尿执行控制受损。 结论:本研究强调了患有NLUTD的MS患者小脑连接的改变,为膀胱功能障碍的神经机制提供了新的见解,并确定了恢复控尿的潜在治疗靶点。
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