Brain Atrophy and Physical and Cognitive Disability in Multiple Sclerosis

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neurology
• Radiology

Background:

• Brain atrophy is a known correlate of physical disability in multiple sclerosis (MS), but its clinical application is limited.
• Variability in study methodologies hinders consistent use of brain atrophy in clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the relationship between volumetric brain measurements and physical disability and cognitive functioning in MS patients within a clinical setting.
• To assess the feasibility of brain atrophy measurement in routine clinical practice for monitoring MS progression.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study including 41 MS patients across different phenotypes.
• Utilized Icometrix software for Whole Brain Volume (WBV), Gray Matter Volume (GMV), and T2 Lesion Load (T2L) quantification.
• Assessed physical disability using the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and cognitive function with the Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests (BRB-N).

Main Results:

• Gray matter volume (GMV) showed associations with age and physical disability (EDSS).
• T2 lesion load (T2L) was significantly associated with physical disability (EDSS).
• No significant correlations were found between cognitive impairment and cerebral volumes; however, cognitive dysfunction was more prevalent in the primary progressive MS phenotype.

Conclusions:

• Brain atrophy measurements, including GMV and T2L, are feasible and valuable in a clinical setting for monitoring physical disability progression in MS.
• The primary progressive MS phenotype is linked to an increased risk of cognitive dysfunction.