Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 2, 2025
Dynamic Visual Tests to Identify and Quantify Visual Damage and Repair Following Demyelination in Optic Neuritis Patients
Published on: April 14, 2014
Retinal Layer Thinning After Optic Neuritis Is Associated With Future Relapse Remission in Relapsing Multiple
Gabriel Bsteh1, Nik Krajnc2, Katharina Riedl2
1From the Department of Neurology (G.B., N.K., K.R., P.A., B.K., F.L., S.M., P.P., P.S.R., G.Z., T.B.), Medical University of Vienna; and Department of Ophthalmology (C.M., B.P.), Medical University of Vienna, Austria. gabriel.bsteh@meduniwien.ac.at.
Retinal layer thinning after acute optic neuritis (ON) may predict incomplete remission of subsequent non-ON relapses in relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS). This finding aids in understanding disease progression and prognosis.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Ophthalmology
- Immunology
Background:
- Relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) prognosis is influenced by relapse remission.
- Acute optic neuritis (ON) in MS involves retinal layer thinning, a biomarker for neuroaxonal damage and recovery.
- Predicting remission of non-ON relapses in MS is challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if retinal thinning following ON is associated with remission of subsequent non-ON relapses in MS patients.
- To determine the predictive value of specific retinal layer thinning measurements for non-ON relapse remission.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal observational study of 167 MS patients from the Vienna MS database.
- Included patients with acute ON and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans at baseline, acute, and follow-up.
- Assessed non-ON relapse remission using Expanded Disability Status Scale and analyzed retinal thinning (ΔpRNFL, ΔGCIPL) via multivariate logistic regression.
Main Results:
- Incomplete remission of non-ON relapses occurred in 36.5% of patients.
- Macular ganglion cell and inner plexiform layer (ΔGCIPL) thinning predicted incomplete remission from baseline to follow-up (OR 2.4) and acute to follow-up (OR 2.4).
- Peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (ΔpRNFL) thinning predicted incomplete remission from baseline to follow-up (OR 1.9).
Conclusions:
- Retinal layer thinning, particularly in the GCIPL and pRNFL, after optic neuritis serves as a potential biomarker for predicting future relapse remission in RMS.
- OCT-measured retinal thinning offers insights into neuroaxonal damage and prognosis in MS patients experiencing non-ON relapses.
