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A pilot study examining functional brain activity 6 months after memory retraining in MS: the MEMREHAB trial

  • Neuroimaging and Rehabilitation SPECIAL ISSUE
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Abstract

Cognitive impairment in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) is now well recognized. One of the most common cognitive deficits is found in memory functioning, largely due to impaired acquisition. We examined functional brain activity 6 months after memory retraining in individuals with MS. The current report presents long term follow-up results from a randomized clinical trial on a memory rehabilitation protocol known as the modified Story Memory Technique. Behavioral memory performance and brain activity of all participants were evaluated at baseline, immediately after treatment, and 6 months after treatment. Results revealed that previously observed increases in patterns of cerebral activation during learning immediately after memory training were maintained 6 months post training.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge grant support from the National Institute of Health (NCMRR) to N. D. Chiaravalloti (R01 HD045798S, R01 HD045798) and the Kessler Foundation. The contents of this article were also developed under the NIDRR grant # H133P090009 to N.D. Chiaravalloti. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and endorsement by the Federal Government should not be assumed.

Conflict of Interest

Ekaterina Dobryakova, Glenn R. Wylie, John DeLuca, and Nancy Chiaravalloti report no conflicts of interest.

Informed consent

All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, and the applicable revisions at the time of the investigation. Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kessler Foundation Research Center, 300 Executive Drive, Suite 70, West Orange, NJ, 07052, USA

    Ekaterina Dobryakova, Glenn R. Wylie, John DeLuca & Nancy D. Chiaravalloti

  2. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, 90 Bergen Street, Suite 3100, Newark, NJ, USA

    Ekaterina Dobryakova, Glenn R. Wylie, John DeLuca & Nancy D. Chiaravalloti

  3. Department of Veteran’s Affairs, War Related Illness & Injury Study Center, East Orange, NJ, USA

    Glenn R. Wylie

  4. Department of Neurology and Neurosciences, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, 90 Bergen Street, Suite 3100, Newark, NJ, USA

    John DeLuca

Authors
  1. Ekaterina Dobryakova
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  2. Glenn R. Wylie
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  3. John DeLuca
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  4. Nancy D. Chiaravalloti
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nancy D. Chiaravalloti.

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Dobryakova, E., Wylie, G.R., DeLuca, J. et al. A pilot study examining functional brain activity 6 months after memory retraining in MS: the MEMREHAB trial. Brain Imaging and Behavior 8, 403–406 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-014-9309-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-014-9309-9

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