Chanraud, S. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2025

Insights from multidimensional analyses of post-stroke fatigue

BackgroundPost-stroke fatigue (PSF) is an overlooked and debilitating condition. As a multidimensional construct, fatigue encompasses physical, cognitive, and emotional components, complicating efforts to understand PSF pathophysiological mechanisms and identify key predictors. ObjectivesWe aimed to investigate the impact of lesion characteristics on the different facets of PSF while accounting for socio-demographic, psychological, and neurological factors. Methods231 first-ever ischemic stroke patients from a prospective hospital-based cohort were assessed using the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD) alongside routine clinical evaluations. Lesion analysis was done through two approaches: a voxel-based method using support vector regression-based multivariate lesion-symptom mapping (SVR-LSM), and a network-based method using principal component analysis (PCA) of lesioned gray and white matter regions. ResultsThe overall prevalence of PSF was 20.8%. PSF was more frequent among women and younger patients and strongly associated with HAD scores. SVR-LSM identified an association between lesions in the right corona radiata and external capsule and total MFI scores but none with HAD scores. The network-based approach showed associations between mental fatigue and reduced activity subdimensions and brain components involving cerebro-cerebellar tracts. ConclusionsOur findings suggest that PSF arises from an interplay of socio-demographic, emotional, and cerebral risk factors, accounting for its heterogeneous presentation. Regarding the associations with the lesioned regions, the involvement of motor pathways raises the possibility that neuronal overactivity, compensating for disrupted networks, may contribute to long-term fatigue. Further whole-brain analyses are warranted to confirm and extend these observations.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Static and Dynamic Aspects of Cerebro-Cerebellar Functional Connectivity are Associated with Self-reported Measures of Impulsivity: A Resting-State fMRI Study

Converging evidence from human and animal studies predict a possible role of the cerebellum in impulsivity. However, this hypothesis has not been thoroughly investigated within the framework of functional connectivity (FC). To address this issue, we employed resting-state fMRI data and two self-reports of impulsivity (UPPS-P and BIS/BAS) from a large group of healthy young individuals (N=134). We identified cerebral and cerebellar resting-state networks, and evaluated the association of static (strength) and dynamic (temporal variability) aspects of cerebro-cerebellar FC with different elements of self-reported impulsivity. Our results revealed that the behavioral inhibition and approach systems (BIS/BAS) were inversely associated with basal ganglia-cerebellar and fronto-cerebellar FC strength, respectively. In addition, we found that lack of premeditation was inversely associated with the temporal variability of FC between the cerebellum and top-down control networks that included sub-regions of the prefrontal cortex, precuneus, and posterior cingulate cortex. Moreover, we found that sensation seeking was associated with the temporal variability of FC between the cerebellum and networks that included cortical control regions and sub-cortical reward regions: the basal ganglia and the thalamus. Together, these findings indicate that the cerebellum may contribute to different forms of impulsivity through its connections to large-scale control and reward networks.

neuroscience↗