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Comprehensive Autopsy Program for Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis
Published on: July 19, 2019
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Early spinal cord pseudoatrophy in interferon-beta-treated multiple sclerosis.
Britta Matusche1, Ludmila Litvin1, Ruth Schneider2
1Institute for Neuroradiology, St Josef Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
European Journal of Neurology
|November 1, 2022
Summary
Multiple sclerosis patients on interferon-beta treatment experience pseudoatrophy in both brain and spinal cord during the first year. This effect stabilizes in the second year, similar to untreated patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neurology
- Multiple Sclerosis Research
Background:
- Brain pseudoatrophy impacts interpreting brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis (MS) during early disease-modifying therapy (DMT).
- The effect of pseudoatrophy on spinal cord volume changes in MS is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate spinal cord pseudoatrophy in the upper cervical region over two years of DMT initiation.
- To compare spinal cord pseudoatrophy with brain pseudoatrophy in multiple sclerosis patients.
Main Methods:
- 129 MS patients from a longitudinal cohort study with MRI scans at baseline, 12, and 24 months.
- Brain and spinal cord volumes quantified using SIENA and NeuroQLab.
- Linear mixed models compared interferon-beta treated (n=84) versus untreated (n=45) patients.
Main Results:
- Interferon-beta treated patients showed increased brain volume and cervical cord area loss in year one.
- Atrophy rates in treated patients stabilized in year two, becoming similar to untreated patients.
- No significant difference in atrophy rates between groups was observed in the second year.
Conclusions:
- Pseudoatrophy occurs in the spinal cord, mirroring brain changes, during the first year of interferon-beta treatment in MS.
- These findings highlight the importance of considering pseudoatrophy when assessing spinal cord atrophy in early MS treatment.
