Early and Degressive Putamen Atrophy in Multiple Sclerosis

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neurology
• Radiology

Background:

• Putamen atrophy has been observed in multiple sclerosis (MS).
• The onset and progression patterns of putamen atrophy in relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the timing of putamen atrophy onset in patients with RRMS.
• To analyze the progression of putamen atrophy in relation to disease duration.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cross-sectional study involving 68 RRMS patients and 26 healthy controls (HC).
• Quantitative analysis of putamen volume using 3T MRI, corrected for age and intracranial volume (ICV).
• Calculation of age-corrected relative putamen volume deviation (ΔRPV) from HC.

Main Results:

• RRMS patients exhibited significantly reduced relative putamen volume (RPV) compared to HC.
• Age-corrected ΔRPV was significantly negative in patients, indicating atrophy.
• Age-corrected ΔRPV showed a logarithmic dependence on disease duration, with more rapid decline in early years.

Conclusions:

• Putamen atrophy in RRMS begins at or before initial symptom manifestation.
• Atrophy progresses in a degressive manner, with faster decline early in the disease course.
• Early detection of putamen atrophy via high-resolution MRI is crucial for monitoring MS progression.