Patients with progressive multiple sclerosis (PMS) show cerebellar functional connectivity (FC) rearrangements that are partially independent from cerebellar structural damage, and are likely expression of a maladaptive functional rewiring. This according to a recent study that aimed to investigate lobular cerebellar FC in patients with PMS in relation to cognition. In this cross-sectional study, resting state fMRI analysis was carried out on 29 PMS patients and 22 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC). Data were analyzed with a seed-based approach, with 4 different seeds placed at the level of cerebellar Lobule VI, Crus I, Crus II, and Lobule VIIb, accounting for cerebellar structural damage. Researchers found:

• When testing FC differences between PMS and HC without taking into account cerebellar structural damage, PMS patients showed a reduction of FC between Crus II/Lobule VIIb and the right frontal pole, with an increased FC between Lobule VIIb and the right precentral gyrus.
• After controlling for structural damage, PMS patients still showed a reduced FC between Crus II and right frontal pole, as well as an increased FC between Lobule VIIb and right precentral gyrus.