Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients showed disease-related abnormalities in nuclei-specific thalamic functional connectivity (FC), according to a recent study that examined the relationship of these abnormalities with fatigue and cognitive outcomes. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was analyzed in 64 MS patients and 26 healthy controls (HC). Whole-brain FC maps for 4 thalamic sub-regions seeds were computed for each subject. FC maps were compared between groups, and group by FC interaction effects were assessed for fatigue and cognitive measures. Researchers found:

• MS patients had decreased FC between the left medial thalamic nuclei and left angular gyrus and reduced FC between the left posterior thalamic nuclei and left supramarginal gyrus, as well as decreased right medial thalamic nuclei connectivity with bilateral caudate/thalamus and left cerebellar areas.
• MS patients had increased FC between the left anterior thalamic nuclei and anterior cingulate cortex bilaterally.
• There were significant relationships between connectivity alterations and fatigue and cognitive measures between groups.