Investigating Default Mode and Sensorimotor Network Connectivity in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

ABSTRACT: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative condition characterized by degeneration of upper motor neurons (UMN) arising from the motor cortex in the brain and lower motor neurons (LMN) in the brainstem and spinal cord. Cerebral changes create differences in brain activity captured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), including the spontaneous and simultaneous activity occurring between regions known as the resting state networks (RSNs). Progressive neurodegeneration as observed in ALS may lead to a disruption of RSNs which could provide insights into the disease process. Previous studies have reported conflicting findings of increased, decreased, or unaltered RSN functional connectivity in ALS and do not report the contribution of UMN changes to RSN connectivity

SUBMITTER: Chenji S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4913931 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature