Clinical and neuroimaging assessments for research studies (including drug trials) in multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated disorder causing inflammation and demyelination in the central nervous system. As the onset of multiple sclerosis is at a young age, it is one of the leading neurological causes of disability. Disease activity and disability can be measured by neurological assessments and by magnetic resonance imaging. The development of standardized assessments has been a very important step in clinical research in MS. Clinical research in MS has led to a better understanding of the disease itself and has resulted in exciting new therapies. The protocols provided in this unit are four basic clinical and neuroimaging assessments commonly used as outcome measures in clinical research studies of MS subjects. These step-by-step instructions may be used by researchers and neurologists in clinical practice to obtain objective measures of MS disease progression and response to treatments.