Reorganization of the sensorimotor cortex in patients with Ph-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms according to functional MRI.

Introduction: Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) may contribute to cerebrovascular disease via cellular and endothelial pathology leading to impairment at the neurovascular unit (NVU) level. Studies targeting this patient cohort form a neuroscientific viewpoint are scarce. Objective: We aimed at elucidating possible neuroimaging correlates of NVU alterations in MPNs patients. Materials and methods: We initially included 187 patients with MPNs in this study, retaining 39 patients as per eligibility criteria (25.6% males, median age - 43 years), who were matched with a control group of 11 healthy subjects (36.4% males, median age - 41 years). Structural and task-based (motor paradigm) functional MRI were performed in both groups, along with the evaluation of baseline blood parameters (hemoglobin, hematocrit and platelet count), comorbidities (arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis) and antiplatelet use: these factors were then used as covariates in statistical analysis. Results: fMRI data analysis in the group of MPN patients revealed activation in the left primary sensorimotor cortex (pre- and post-central gyri); the right supramarginal gyrus showed significant activation ( Conclusion: Additional task-specific cortical activation in MPN patients may be potentially linked to NVU disturbance, even in otherwise unchanged cerebral activation patterns. Our findings also suggest that fMRI data in MPN may be confounded by higher blood cell count that needs to be controlled for in this cohort of patients.