Elisa Canu1, Federica Agosta1,
Paola Valsasina1, Nilo Riva2, Alessandro Prelle3,
Giulia Longoni1, Giancarlo Comi2, Massimo Filippi1
1Neuroimaging Research
Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience,
Scientific Institute & University Hospital San Raffaele, Milan, Italy; 2Department
of Neurology, Scientific Institute & University Hospital San Raffaele,
Milan, Italy; 33Ospedale Fatebenefratelli e Oftalmico, Milan,
Italy
Using resting state functional MRI (RS fMRI), the default mode (DMN), fronto-parietal, executive, and salience networks were explored in 16 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with no cognitive impairment and 15 healthy controls. Compared to controls, ALS patients showed a decreased connectivity of the DMN and fronto-parietal networks in the frontal cortex, but enhanced connectivity in the parietal regions. In non-demented ALS patients, the pattern of network abnormalities mirrors that observed in patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). RS fMRI may contribute to shed light on to the overlap between ALS and FTD.