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Updated: Jul 1, 2026
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Multiple Sclerosis at 7.0 Tesla
Published on: February 19, 2021
A magnetic resonance imaging voxel-based morphometry study of regional gray matter atrophy in patients with benign
Sarlota Mesaros1, Marco Rovaris, Elisabetta Pagani
1Neuroimaging Research Unit, Scientific Institute and University Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy.
Background:
Evidence is accumulating that indicates that a selected assessment of gray matter (GM) damage is able to provide strong paraclinical correlates of multiple sclerosis (MS) severity.
Objective:
To investigate the pattern of regional GM atrophy in patients with benign MS (BMS) vs those with secondary progressive MS (SPMS) to better elucidate the factors associated with a favorable status in patients with MS.
Design:
Cross-sectional survey from January 2006 to August 2007.
Setting:
Referral, hospital-based MS clinics. Patients Sixty patients with BMS, 35 patients with SPMS, and 21 healthy volunteers.
Main Outcome Measures:
Neuropsychological tests exploring memory, attention, and frontal lobe cognitive domains were administered to BMS patients. A voxel-based morphometry analysis of GM concentration was performed using statistical parametric mapping and a threshold of 0.05, corrected for multiple comparisons.
Results:
Twelve BMS patients (20%) had an abnormal performance on 3 or more neuropsychological tests. Compared with healthy individuals, BMS patients had a reduced GM volume in the subcortical and frontoparietal regions. Compared with BMS patients, those with SPMS had a significant GM loss in the cerebellum. No differences between BMS and SPMS patients were found when only BMS patients with cognitive impairment or those with shorter disease duration (15-19 years) and higher Expanded Disability Status Scale scores (>2.0) were considered.
Conclusions:
Cerebellar GM atrophy seems to be a major determinant of irreversible locomotor disability in MS. The absence of cognitive impairment and a longer disease duration or lower Expanded Disability Status Scale score may identify those BMS patients with the potential for a favorable disease evolution.
Insights
Gray matter (GM) atrophy in the cerebellum is linked to locomotor disability in multiple sclerosis (MS). Favorable MS disease progression may be predicted by preserved cognition and longer disease duration.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuroimaging
- Disease Progression
Background:
- Gray matter (GM) damage correlates with multiple sclerosis (MS) severity.
- Understanding regional GM atrophy patterns can elucidate factors in favorable MS status.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare regional GM atrophy patterns between benign MS (BMS) and secondary progressive MS (SPMS).
- To identify factors associated with a favorable prognosis in MS patients.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 60 BMS patients, 35 SPMS patients, and 21 healthy controls.
- Neuropsychological testing for memory, attention, and executive functions in BMS patients.
- Voxel-based morphometry analysis of GM concentration using statistical parametric mapping.
Main Results:
- BMS patients showed reduced GM volume in subcortical and frontoparietal regions compared to controls.
- SPMS patients exhibited significant cerebellar GM loss compared to BMS patients.
- Cognitive impairment, shorter disease duration, or higher disability scores did not differentiate BMS and SPMS groups in all analyses.
Conclusions:
- Cerebellar GM atrophy is a key factor in irreversible MS-related locomotor disability.
- Absence of cognitive impairment and longer disease duration or lower disability scores may indicate a favorable MS disease course.
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