Use-Dependent Plasticity in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Background: In patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), cumulative tissue injury develops in the central nervous system. Axonal damage is known to occur early on in the disease. Cortical reorganization has been observed in MS patients during the performance of motor and cognitive tasks and may prevent functional deficits. A better understanding of cerebral plasticity could help optimize therapeutic options. Methods: In the current study, we analyzed the effects of training a simple motor task on cortical organization. Functional MRI activation patterns of patients with relapsing-remitting MS and of healthy control…