The role of cerebellar abnormalities in neuromyelitis optica--a comparison with multiple sclerosis and healthy controls
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Updated: Apr 19, 2026

Induction of Paralysis and Visual System Injury in Mice by T Cells Specific for Neuromyelitis Optica Autoantigen Aquaporin-4
Published on: August 21, 2017
Katrin Weier1, Arman Eshaghi2, Stefano Magon3
1Department of Neurology, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland katrin.weier@usb.ch.
Background:
In relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), the cerebellum is a known predilection site for atrophy. Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is characterized by extensive lesions in the spinal cord and optic nerve; however, cerebellar involvement has been less studied. Secondary degeneration of the spinocerebellar tract could impact the cerebellum in NMO.
Objective:
We aimed to investigate whether spinal cord and cerebellar volume measures differ between patients with NMO and RRMS.
Methods:
Volumetric analyses of the cerebellum (TCV), the upper cervical cord (UCV) as well as the whole brain (NBV) of age- and gender-matched patients with NMO (n=30; 56% AQP4 +ve) and RRMS (n=25) were performed on 3T brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and compared with 34 healthy controls (HC).
Results:
UCV was significantly reduced in NMO patients (6.3 cm(3)) as compared with HC (6.7 cm(3)), while patients with MS had reduced brain volumes compared with HC (NBV=1482 cm(3); p<0.001; TCV=188 cm(3); p=0.042), but UCV close to normal values. Patients with RRMS and NMO differed in NBV (p=0.001; lower in RRMS) and by trend (towards reduction in RRMS) in cerebellar volume (p=0.06).
Conclusions:
While atrophy seems to be diffuse in MS patients, a rather focussed pattern with predominant involvement of the UCV was observed in NMO patients.
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