Mild gray matter atrophy in patients with long-standing multiple sclerosis and favorable clinical course

Mult Scler. 2022 Jan;28(1):154-159. doi: 10.1177/13524585211019650. Epub 2021 Jun 8.

Abstract

The mechanisms responsible for the favorable clinical course in multiple sclerosis (MS) remain unclear. In this longitudinal study, we assessed whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based changes in focal and diffuse brain damage are associated with a long-term favorable MS diseases course. We found that global brain and gray matter (GM) atrophy changes were milder in MS patients with long-standing disease (⩾30 years from onset) and favorable (no/minimal disability) clinical course than in sex-age-matched disable MS patients, independently of lesions accumulation. Data showed that different trajectories of volume changes, as reflected by mild GM atrophy, may characterize patients with long-term favorable evolution.

Keywords: MRI; Multiple sclerosis; demyelination.

MeSH terms

  • Atrophy / pathology
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging
  • Brain / pathology
  • Gray Matter / diagnostic imaging
  • Gray Matter / pathology
  • Humans
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Multiple Sclerosis* / diagnostic imaging
  • Multiple Sclerosis* / pathology
  • White Matter* / pathology