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Comprehensive Autopsy Program for Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis
Published on: July 19, 2019
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Genetic susceptibility to multiple sclerosis: Brain structure and cognitive function in the general population
Mohammad Arfan Ikram1, Meike W Vernooij2, Gennady V Roshchupkin3
1Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center (Erasmus MC), Rotterdam, The Netherlands/Department of Radiology, Erasmus University Medical Center (Erasmus MC), Rotterdam, The Netherlands/Department of Neurology, Erasmus University Medical Center (Erasmus MC), Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Multiple Sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)
|March 10, 2017
Summary
Genetic risk for multiple sclerosis (MS) may impact brain structure and cognitive function, even in individuals without the disease. This suggests a hidden burden of MS genetic susceptibility in the general population.
Area of Science:
- Neurogenetics
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disease with a genetic component, but most genetic risk carriers do not develop MS.
- The impact of MS-associated genetic variants on brain structure and cognition in the general population remains largely uninvestigated.
- Understanding these effects could reveal a 'hidden burden' of MS susceptibility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of multiple sclerosis (MS)-associated genetic variants on brain structure and cognitive function in the general population.
- To determine if a cumulative genetic risk score for MS is associated with measurable differences in brain anatomy and cognitive performance.
- To identify specific MS genetic variants that influence cognitive domains like memory.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the population-based Rotterdam Study, including middle-aged and elderly participants.
- Assessed 107 known MS genetic risk variants and calculated a combined MS risk score.
- Employed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for brain structure analysis (N=4710) and a cognitive test battery for cognitive function assessment (N=7556).
Main Results:
- A higher MS genetic risk score was associated with reduced overall gray matter volume (p=0.044).
- No significant associations were found between individual MS variants and brain structure measures after correction for multiple testing.
- One specific variant, rs2283792, showed a significant association with poorer memory performance (p=3.4×10⁻⁵).
Conclusions:
- Genetic susceptibility to multiple sclerosis (MS) may subtly influence brain structure and cognitive abilities in individuals without the disease.
- These findings suggest a potential 'hidden burden' of MS genetic risk factors operating within the general population.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms linking MS genetic variants to brain health and cognitive function in non-patient populations.
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