A study identifies how the brain compensates for memory loss in the early stages of multiple sclerosis

A study by the Neurodegeneration and Neuroinflammation group at the Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), linked to the Territorial Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Unit of Girona at the Trueta and Santa Caterina hospitals, has identified how the brain activates compensatory mechanisms to preserve memory in the early stages of multiple sclerosis, before cognitive deficits become established. The study has been published in the scientific journal “NeuroImage: Clinical”.

The research is led by Dr. Jordi Gich, a senior researcher at IDIBGI and neuropsychologist at Trueta and Santa Caterina hospitals, and includes Judit Salavedra, a predoctoral researcher at IDIBGI in the same group and neuropsychologist at Trueta Hospital, as first author.

The study analyses how the functional connections of the hippocampus—a key structure for memory—change across different stages of the disease. The results show that, in the early phases, the brain is able to activate alternative connections that help maintain memory performance despite the presence of brain lesions. As the disease progresses, however, these adaptations become ineffective and are associated with cognitive decline.

According to the research team, identifying this initial period of compensation opens a window of opportunity for early intervention. “Understanding which brain changes are beneficial and which are not allows for the design of therapeutic strategies better tailored to each stage of the disease,” the authors note. In this regard, cognitive rehabilitation could help strengthen still-active functional connections and contribute to preserving memory for longer.

These findings provide new insights to advance towards preventive and personalised strategies in the management of multiple sclerosis, with the aim of protecting and enhancing cognitive functions from the earliest stages of the disease.

Reference article: Salavedra-Pont J, Coll-Martinez C, Quiroga-Varela A, Quintana E, Buxó M, Biarnés C, Robles-Cedeño R, Álvarez-Bravo G, Ramió-Torrentà L, Contreras-Rodríguez O, Gich J. From adaptive to maladaptive hippocampal resting-state functional connectivity over the course of multiple sclerosis to understand memory impairment. Neuroimage Clin. 2025;48:103900. doi: 10.1016/j.nicl.2025.103900. Epub 2025 Nov 4. PMID: 41240753; PMCID: PMC12664432.