The Relationship between White Matter Integrity and Self-Awareness in Multiple Sclerosis Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging
By Ben Silver
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an auto-immune disease that attacks the central nervous system. Almost 10,000 people are diagnosed every year, and depending on age, at least 40% of people with MS are unemployed, suggesting the severity of its debilitation within society. Specifically, it occurs when the immune system attacks the myelin sheath, a protective coating around the axons of nerve cells of the brain. The myelin sheath is composed of white matter, functioning to help nerve cells send signals quickly and smoothly throughout the brain. When it is damaged (this occurs in MS), signals cannot be sent throughout the body as quickly or efficiently. The Central Nervous System (CNS) has varied bodily functions; therefore, individuals with MS experience numerous symptoms, such as vision problems, trouble walking, and severe cognitive and physical fatigue. Such a wide range of symptoms calls for very extensive and broad treatment plans; therefore it is important to understand as many of these symptoms as possible in order to treat MS patients efficiently and effectively. One of the more common, and noticeable, symptoms in MS is Impaired Self-Awareness (ISA). Self-Awareness is the ability to understand one�s own disabilities and capabilities. People who have impaired self-awareness are unable to understand all of the problems that MS causes them, such as reduced physical capabilities or cognitive fatigue. Although ISA has been studied extensively in MS and other neurological conditions like Traumatic Brain Injury, very little is known about its neurological underpinnings … This study seeks to examine the following: 1) Different types of self-awareness, since self-awareness can be impaired cognitively, behaviorally, and physically. 2) Since white matter integrity is related to executive functioning, and self-awareness is a type of executive functioning, this study seeks to examine if reduced white matter volume will be directly correlated with reduced self-awareness