Grant: Master's Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease that results in degeneration of cells in the central nervous system. Notably, up to 10% of MS patients are diagnosed prior to age 18. Neuroimaging studies have provided evidence for changes to the brain in MS patients, and the study of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS fMRI) has become more widely employed in this research. RS fMRI measures the functional connectivity that exists between regions of the brain. Recently, rehabilitation research conducted in adults with MS has noted that physical activity is capable of influencing the structural and functional properties of the brain. To that end, this study aims to determine the relationship between functional connectivity in the brain and physical activity in pediatric MS. Our secondary aim is to determine if maintaining a high level of physical activity over time will affect functional connectivity and disease progression in pediatric MS. As such, we hypothesize that physical activity will be related to functional connectivity in pediatric MS. Furthermore, we predict that over a two-year period, children and adolescents with MS who maintain high levels of physical activity will show less progression of disease and maintain functional connectivity, in comparison to patients with low physical activity levels. Physical activity in MS patients aged 8-18 years will be measured over 7 days via an accelerometer; RS fMRI data will be acquired via a 3T scanner at baseline and 24 months. As physical activity has been shown to confer positive effects on cognition and brain function, it may be a promising avenue for developing new rehabilitation programs in pediatric MS, and to better understand MS pathophysiology.