What clinical parameter strongly associates white matter tract alterations in a Multiple Sclerosis population with...

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Urology
• Neurology

Background:

• Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are common in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and worsen with disease progression.
• White matter integrity changes, assessed via Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), are also characteristic of MS.
• Understanding the correlation between clinical LUTS parameters and white matter structure is crucial for monitoring MS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To correlate clinical and urodynamic parameters in MS patients with LUTS with Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and white matter integrity (DTI).
• To identify which LUTS parameters best correlate with structural changes in white matter.

Main Methods:

• Ten adult women with stable MS and voiding dysfunction (%PVR/BV > 20%) underwent Urodynamic Studies (UDS) and DTI MRI.
• DTI data were analyzed to extract fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD).
• Pearson's correlation tested associations between white matter integrity (WMT) parameters, clinical data, and EDSS scores.

Main Results:

• The %PVR/BV parameter showed significant correlations with the most WMTs among all clinical parameters.
• %PVR/BV was the only clinical parameter significantly correlated with the EDSS score.
• These findings suggest %PVR/BV as a potential objective marker for MS progression.

Conclusions:

• The post-void residual volume (%PVR/BV) can serve as an objective parameter to assess white matter changes and disease progression in MS patients.
• This parameter may aid in monitoring MS progression, particularly in patients experiencing LUTS.
• Further research is warranted to validate and refine this predictive model.