Participants
epilepsy, bipolar disorder, depressive disorder, psychiatric, schizophrenia, drug abuse, RRMS, Fatigue
NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE OTHER, EPILEPSY, DISEASE COURSE, RECRUITMENT, WEST, MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
All participant recruitment, data collection, and fMRI data acquisition took place at Kessler Foundation (East Hanover, New Jersey, USA; West Orange, New Jersey, USA). Participants were screened prior to study enrollment and were excluded if they met any of the following criteria: left-handedness; diagnosis of a neurological disease other than MS (e.g., epilepsy); significant history of alcohol, drug abuse, or psychiatric issues; current diagnosis of major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder; and use of steroids, benzodiazepines, or neuroleptics within the past four weeks. MS participants were excluded if they experienced an exacerbation of symptoms (i.e., a relapse) within the past four weeks. Additionally, MS participants were eligible to participate if they reported a raw score of 36 or higher on the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS; Study Participant Demographic Characteristics.MS = Multiple Sclerosis; NT = Neurotypical; Sig. = Significance; EDSS = Expanded Disability Status Scale; FSS = Fatigue Severity Scale; N/A = Not Applicable. Unless otherwise noted, all values are presented as M(SD) = mean (standard deviation). Mdn = median; IQR = interquartile range.A sample of 60 individuals – 30 RRMS and 30 NT (age range: 18–55 years) – participated in the study. We limited our MS sample to RRMS, as this disease course is the most common (