Multiple Sclerosis Research Repository

Category: Uncategorized

“Cognitive impairment in early-onset multiple sclerosis: pattern, predictors and impact on everyday life in a 4-year follow up”: Amato MP et al
1. “Cognitive impairment in early-onset multiple sclerosis: pattern, predictors and impact on everyday life in a 4-year follow up”: Amato MP et al
-cognitive and neurological deficits appear not to develop in parallel

-cognitive dysfunctional proves to be a predictor of handicap in everyday life, even in patients in the incipient phase of MS

-a patient’s initial disability level predicted decreased performance on only 4/13 cognitive variables and disease duration did so on only 2/13

-extent of intellectual decline on initial testing, initial disability level and progressive course were independent determinants of handicap in a patient’s work and social activities
January 21, 2025
“Regional brain atrophy is associated with physical disability in multiple sclerosis: semi quantitative magnetic resonance imaging and relationship to clinical findings”: Bakshi R
1. “Regional brain atrophy is associated with physical disability in multiple sclerosis: semi quantitative magnetic resonance imaging and relationship to clinical findings”: Bakshi R
-secondary progressive (SP) versus relapsing patients were predicted by inferior parietal, superior parietal, superior frontal, cerebellum, occipital, and midbrain atrophy

-SP patients were also predicted by total atrophy and third ventricular enlargement but not T1 or T2 lesions

-in group B, the regression model predicting EDSS score included only superior frontal atrophy

-group A: inferior frontal atrophy and T2 lesions in the pons predicted physical disability (EDSS)
January 21, 2025
“Thalamic neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis”: Cifelli A et al
1. “Thalamic neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis”: Cifelli A et al
-neuronal loss in MS can be substantial: 30-35% reduction
January 21, 2025
“Localization of grey matter atrophy in early RRMS: A longitudinal study”: Audoin B et al
1. “Localization of grey matter atrophy in early RRMS: A longitudinal study”: Audoin B et al
-during the follow-up period, significantly greater atrophy occurred in both thalami and the right lateral prefrontal cortex of MS patients v controls

-by year 2: GM atrophy in the thalami of MS patients v controls

-rate of thalamic atrophy in MS subjects correlated w changes in EDSS during the follow up period

-this study suggest that early in the clinical course of RRMS, the thalamic atrophy is more consistently apparent than regional cortical atrophy
January 21, 2025
“Selective caudate atrophy in multiple sclerosis: a 3D MRI parcellation study”: Bermel RA et al
1. “Selective caudate atrophy in multiple sclerosis: a 3D MRI parcellation study”: Bermel RA et al
-normalized bicaudate volume was 19% lower in MS than controls, an effect that persisted after adjusting for whole brain atrophy

-caudate volume did not correlate with disease duration, physical disability score, whole-brain atrophy or total T2 hyperintense or T1 hypointense lesion load

-selective caudate atrophy is associated with MS and may occur through direct mechanisms
January 21, 2025
1. “Relating neocortical pathology to disability progression in multiple sclerosis using MRI”: Chen JT et al
1. “Relating neocortical pathology to disability progression in multiple sclerosis using MRI”: Chen JT et al
-average higher rate of apparent loss in cortical grey matter (CGM) thickness across the whole brain in the group that progressed over the interscan interval vs the group that remained stable; this difference was detected w regional measures in parietal and precentral cortex

-the group of MS patients whose disability progressed showed a significant decrease in GM/WM interface integrity compared to the stable group

-the results suggest that progression of disability in MS is associated with the progression of MRI-detectable cortical pathology
January 21, 2025
“Regional brain atrophy evolves differently in patients with multiple sclerosis according to clinical phenotype”: Pagani E et al
1. “Regional brain atrophy evolves differently in patients with multiple sclerosis according to clinical phenotype”: Pagani E et al
-patients with RRMS developed significant atrophy around the ventricular system; pericerebellar spaces; cerebellar tentorium; putamen; corpus callosum; cingulate sulcus; hippocampus; parieto-occipital fissure; lateral fissure; and frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital cortex

-patients with SPMS developed significant atrophy of the cingulate sulcus; pulvinar; caudate nucleus; anterior orbital gyrus; mammillary body; fourth ventricle; and regions of frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital cortex

-patients with PPMS developed significant atrophy of the bilateral central sulcus; caudate nucleus; prepontine and quadrigeminal cisterns; lateral ventricle and regions of frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital cortex

-in all phenotypes, the development of atrophy in some regions was significantly correlated with the accumulation of T2 and T1-visible lesions and clinical disability

-cortical atrophy seems to be more important in the progressive forms
January 21, 2025
“Regional brain atrophy development is related to specific aspects of clinical dysfunction in multiple sclerosis”: Jasperse B et al
1. “Regional brain atrophy development is related to specific aspects of clinical dysfunction in multiple sclerosis”: Jasperse B et al
-worse EDSS change-score and worse follow-up EDSS were related to atrophy development of periventricular and brainstem regions and right-sided parietal, occipital and temporal regions

-worse PASAT at follow up was significant related to atrophy of the ventricles

-a worse TWT change-score and worse follow-up TWT were exclusively related to atrophy around the ventricles and of the brainstem

-worse HPT change-score and worse follow-up HPT of either arm were significantly related to the atrophy of widely distributed peripheral regions as well as atrophy of periventricular and brainstem regions

-findings suggest that decline in ambulatory function is related to atrophy of central brain regions exclusively whereas decline in neurologically more complex tasks for coordinated hand function is related to atrophy of both central and peripheral brain regions
January 21, 2025
“Focal cortical atrophy in multiple sclerosis: relation to lesion load and disability”: Charil A et al
1. “Focal cortical atrophy in multiple sclerosis: relation to lesion load and disability”: Charil A et al
-mean cortical thickness correlated with SM lesion load and disability

-the correlations of cortical thickness with total lesion load and disability were most significant in cingulate gyrus, insula, and associative cortical regions

-conversely, primary sensory, visual and motor areas showed a less significant relationship

-the highest amount of atrophy per lesion volume or disability scale unit was in the anterior cingulate cortex

-cortical atrophy occurs occurs even in MS patients with only mild disability

-a specific regional pattern of focal atrophy in MS that is distinctively different from the one in normal aging

-the predilection of the atrophic process for areas that are heavily inter-connected with other brain regions suggests that interruption of WM tracts by MS plaques contributes, at least in part, to the development of cortical atrophy
January 21, 2025
“Grey and white matter volume changes in early RRMS: a 2-year longitudinal study” by Tiberio M et al
1. “Grey and white matter volume changes in early RRMS: a 2-year longitudinal study” by Tiberio M et al
-a decrease in grey matter fractions was observed in subjects w MS vs controls over the 2 year study; no change was seen in white matter fractions during this time

-dependent upon change in Gd-enhancing lesion load over 2 years, a decrease in WMF was seen in the group with the largest decline in Gd volume, whereas WMF increased in the other half concurrent with a net increase in volume of Gd-enhancing lesions

-increasing gray matter but not white matter atrophy was observed early in the clinical course of RRMS
January 21, 2025