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Project
On the neurophysiology of cognitive deterioration in multiple sclerosis (FWOTM620)
About half of all MS patients will develop cognitive deterioration during their decade-long illness, affecting quality of life, independence and safety. Therapeutic results are disappointing. Treatment development would benefit from good biomarkers, which are not currently available. MRI and genetic markers show only moderate correlations with cognitive deterioration.
Neuroelectrophysiological techniques are a promising alternative in the development of a biomarker for cognitive deterioration in MS. Certain tasks in which subjects have to distinguish between a target stimulus on one hand, and distractor stimuli on the other hand, will be further investigated in this project.
In a first workpackage, we will examine the effect of these tasks on electrical potentials measured on the scalp of MS patients. In a second workpackage, we will determine the zones in the brain activated during the mental tasks. Results from both steps will be compared with neuropsychological test results. The PhD candidate will have access to a large database containing clinical and electrophysiological data from over 400 patients.
In a third workpackage we will combine electrophysiological results from steps 1 and 2 in a logistic regression model, and in a fourth workpackage we will test whether this electrophysiological parameter will change in accordance with changes in cognitive condition in MS that are due to treatment or to spontaneous evolution.
In this case, we would have gained evidence that go/no-go evoked potentials, analysed using both conventional and source localisation techniques, form a potential biomarker for cognitive deterioration in multiple sclerosis.
Neuroelectrophysiological techniques are a promising alternative in the development of a biomarker for cognitive deterioration in MS. Certain tasks in which subjects have to distinguish between a target stimulus on one hand, and distractor stimuli on the other hand, will be further investigated in this project.
In a first workpackage, we will examine the effect of these tasks on electrical potentials measured on the scalp of MS patients. In a second workpackage, we will determine the zones in the brain activated during the mental tasks. Results from both steps will be compared with neuropsychological test results. The PhD candidate will have access to a large database containing clinical and electrophysiological data from over 400 patients.
In a third workpackage we will combine electrophysiological results from steps 1 and 2 in a logistic regression model, and in a fourth workpackage we will test whether this electrophysiological parameter will change in accordance with changes in cognitive condition in MS that are due to treatment or to spontaneous evolution.
In this case, we would have gained evidence that go/no-go evoked potentials, analysed using both conventional and source localisation techniques, form a potential biomarker for cognitive deterioration in multiple sclerosis.
Date:1 Oct 2012 → 30 Sep 2016
Keywords:Blood Pressure, Diabetes
Disciplines:Endocrinology and metabolic diseases