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Comprehensive Autopsy Program for Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis
Published on: July 19, 2019
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Longitudinal associations between MRI and cognitive changes in very early MS.
Bardia Nourbakhsh1, Julia Nunan-Saah2, Amir-Hadi Maghzi1
1Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA.
Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders
|February 10, 2016
Summary
Cognitive impairment is common in early multiple sclerosis (MS). Brain lesion load on MRI is linked to changes in cognitive function over time in MS patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Radiology
Background:
- Cognitive dysfunction is a significant challenge in multiple sclerosis (MS), often studied in advanced stages.
- Early detection and understanding of cognitive changes in early MS are crucial for timely intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the longitudinal relationship between brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) metrics and neuropsychological outcomes in patients with early MS.
- To assess cognitive function and its association with brain volume and lesion load in the initial phase of MS.
Main Methods:
- Relapsing MS patients within 12 months of onset were analyzed in a clinical trial.
- MRI metrics included normalized brain parenchymal volume (nBPV) and T2 lesion volume (T2LV).
- Neuropsychological tests were administered annually, with statistical analysis using mixed-effects models.
Main Results:
- 11.6% of early MS patients exhibited cognitive impairment at baseline.
- Baseline T2 lesion volume predicted changes in cognitive tests like PASAT and SDMT.
- Longitudinal T2 lesion volume changes correlated with alterations in the CVLT-II score.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive impairment is prevalent even in the very early stages of MS.
- Brain lesion load, both at baseline and longitudinally, is associated with cognitive decline in MS.
