[Functional magnetic resonance imaging in multiple sclerosis]

Abstract

The use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in multiple sclerosis (MS) is reviewed. fMRI is an efficient method to map brain activity non-invasively and has shown that adaptive cortical changes take place as a consequence of demyelination and tissue loss in MS. These changes may help to maintain normal function in the course of MS, and to some extent they might explain the moderate correlation between conventional MRI findings and disability. fMRI can provide information about brain plasticity and thus improve our understanding of the disease.