Correlation between brain MRI lesion volume and disability in patients with multiple sclerosis (original) (raw)

Correlation of clinical findings and brain volume data in multiple sclerosis

, on behalf of theBrazilian Brain Volume Studies (B-BRAVOS) group a b s t r a c t Brain volume measurements are becoming an important tool for assessing success in controlling multiple sclerosis (MS) activity. MSmetrix (icometrix) is an easy-to-use platform, specific for MS magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain. It provides data on total brain volume, grey matter volume and lesion load volume. The objective of the present study was to assess whether disability and the number of relapses during the previous year correlated with brain volume measurements from MSmetrix. Data on 185 icometrix reports from patients with MS were used to evaluate the potential correlation between brain volume measurements and clinical parameters. There was a significant correlation between higher disability and decreased brain volume (total and grey matter). Increased lesion load in the brain and higher number of relapses in the previous year were also independently correlated with decreased brain tissue volume and with increased disability. This is the first study with real-world data to show that icometrix is a relevant tool for the study of brain volume loss in MS.

Functional Disability and Brain MRI Volumetry Results among Multiple Sclerosis Patients during 5-Year Follow-Up

Medicina

Background and Objectives: We aimed to determine the link between brain volumetry results and functional disability calculated using the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in relation to the provided treatment (disease-modifying therapies (DMTs)) during a 5-year follow-up period. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed enrolling 66 consecutive patients with a confirmed diagnosis of MS, predominantly females (62% (n = 41)). Relapsing–remitting (RR) MS was noted in 92% (n = 61) of patients, with the rest being patients with secondary progressive (SP) MS. The mean age was 43.3 years (SD 8.3 years). All patients were evaluated clinically using the EDSS and “FreeSurfer© 7.2.0” radiologically during a 5-year follow-up. Results: A significant increase in patient functional disability was noted, calculated using the EDSS during a 5-year follow-up. The baseline EDSS ranged between 1 and 6 with a median of 1.5 (IQR 1.5–2.0)...

Quantitative volumetric analysis of brain magnetic resonance imaging from patients with multiple sclerosis

Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 1998

We compared the volumes of the brain as a whole and of different cerebral structures from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and normal subjects. In the patients, we also correlated brain volumes with T2 and T1 lesion loads and disability. A magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition gradient echo (MP RAGE) sequence with subsequent reconstruction of axial 1-mm thick slices and a dual-echo sequence were obtained in 15 patients with relapsing-remitting or secondary progressive MS and 15 sex-, age-, height-and weight-matched normal subjects. The brains and the different cerebral structures studied (cerebral hemispheres, cerebellum and brainstem) were segmented manually by a single observer on the 1-mm MP RAGE scans. The hyperintense lesion volumes seen on dual-echo scans and the hypointense lesion volumes seen on the 1-mm MP RAGE scans were measured using a semi-automated segmentation technique based on local thresholding. Compared to the normal volunteers, patients had significantly lower cerebral (P50.008), hemispheric (P50.01) and brainstem (P50.03) volumes. Cerebral atrophy was detected in seven (47%) MS patients. Patients with brainstem signs had significantly lower mean brainstem volume than the others (P50.04). No significant correlations were found between the cerebral volumes and the EDSS scores, the hyperintense lesion volumes and the hypointense lesion volumes. We conclude that cerebral atrophy is a relatively frequent finding in MS, but its relationship with physical disability is modest.

Association between brain volume and disability over time in multiple sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis Journal - Experimental, Translational and Clinical

Background Most previous multiple sclerosis (MS) brain atrophy studies using MS impact scale 29 (MSIS-29) or symbol digit modalities test (SDMT) have been cross-sectional with limited sets of clinical outcomes. Objectives To investigate which brain and lesion volume metrics show the strongest long-term associations with the expanded disability status scale (EDSS), SDMT, and MSIS-29, and whether MRI-clinical associations vary with age. Methods We acquired MRI and clinical data from a real-world Swedish MS cohort. FreeSurfer and SPM Lesion Segmentation Tool were used to obtain brain parenchymal, cortical and subcortical grey matter, thalamic and white matter fractions as well as T1- and T2-lesion volumes. Mixed-effects and rolling regression models were used in the statistical analyses. Results We included 989 persons with MS followed for a median of 9.3 (EDSS), 10.1 (SDMT), and 9.3 (MSIS-29) years, respectively. In a cross-sectional analysis, the strength of the associations of the M...

Brain and Lesion Volumes Correlate with Edss in Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

Journal of IMAB - Annual Proceeding (Scientific Papers), 2015

Background: Demyelination and neurodegeneration are hallmarks of multiple sclerosis (MS). Axonal damage is considered to be the leading factor for persisting disability in the course of the disease. In different studies, expanded disability status scale (EDSS) scores have been found to correlate with brain atrophy, lesion load, or both. Objective: To assess the possible correlations between EDSS scores and volumes of brain, grey and white matter, and subcortical structures in patients with relapsingremitting multiple sclerosis. Subjects and Methods: 46 patients with RRMS were included in the study. Total brain volume, grey and white matter volumes were calculated using SIENAX, and subcortical structure volumes were obtained using FIRST, parts of FSL. EDSS was scored by a qualified rater. Statistical analysis was performed. Results: Moderate negative correlation of EDSS was demonstrated with total brain volume, grey and white matter volume, volumes of left and right pallidum, putamen, caudate nucleus, n. accumbens (p<0.01), and with the volumes of left and right thalamus (p<0.05). Moderate positive correlation was found between EDSS and T2 lesion volume (p<0.01). Correlation between EDSS and hippocampal volumes was weak. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, higher disability correlates with lower volumes of brain, grey and white matter, and some subcortical structures, but also with higher T2 lesion load. We support the hypothesis about a possible causal relationship between white matter damage and brain atrophy, as well as the role of both demyelination and neurodegeneration for disability in MS.

Association of cognitive impairment and lesion volumes in multiple sclerosis- a MRI study

Cognitive impairment (CI) can be demonstrated in 40-65% of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, sometimes starting from the early stages of the disease. The objective of this study was a community based investigation of FLAIR-hyperintense lesion volumens (LV) and their association with CI in patients with relapsing intrument, MUSIC. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan were obtained with 1.5 Terla Sigma Magnetom MRI scanner. We conducted a stepwise multiple regression analysis to assess the relative contribution of the main clinical, demographic and MRI-variables in predicting cognitive impairment. We recruited 78 patients with RRMS. The mean MUSIC score was 20.6 +-5.4. forty five percent of patients had CI and 55% had no sign of CI. In the correlation analysis of the MUSIC subtests only in the interference test correlated negatively with the LV. Multivariate linear regression analysis using MUSIC dependent continuous variable revealed LV and disability severity as independent factors associated with MUSIC. the results of the present study suggest an association between white matter damage and CI in MS. We could demonstrate an association between attention difficulties and the LV in MS patients

Brain MRI Volumetric Assessment of Patients With Multiple Sclerosis: The Volume of Basal Ganglia, Thalamus, and Posterior Fossa

Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Journal, 2023

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory demyelinating and neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system, which is associated with brain atrophy and volume changes in some brain structures. This study aimed to compare the volume of the basal ganglia, thalamus, cerebellum, and brainstem in patients with relapsing-remitting MS with that of the control group using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, MRI brain scans were obtained from 25 patients with relapsing-remitting MS and 25 healthy control subjects. Volumetric analyses were performed using Brain Suite software. Results: The mean age of the MS and the control groups was 33.96±8.75 and 40.40±8.72, respectively. No statistically significant difference was found in gender (P=0.747). The bilateral putamen and caudate nuclei volumes were significantly higher in the case group than in the control group (P<0.001). Moreover, lower the volume of the brainstem, cerebellum, bilateral thalamus, and globus pallidus were identified in the MS patients compared to the control group (P<0.001). There was an inverse correlation between the disease and treatment duration with the thalamus and cerebellum volume in MS patients (P=0.001). Treatment duration also had an inverse correlation with brainstem volume (P=0.047). Conclusion: The volume of some structures of the brain, including globus pallidus, thalamus, cerebellum, and brainstem is lower in MS and can be one of the markers of disease progression and disability among MS patients.

MRI-Based Brain Volumetry at a Single Time Point Complements Clinical Evaluation of Patients With Multiple Sclerosis in an Outpatient Setting

Frontiers in Neurology

Purpose: Thalamic atrophy and whole brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis (MS) are associated with disease progression. The motivation of this study was to propose and evaluate a new grouping scheme which is based on MS patients' whole brain and thalamus volumes measured on MRI at a single time point. Methods: In total, 185 MS patients (128 relapsing-remitting (RRMS) and 57 secondary-progressive MS (SPMS) patients) were included from an outpatient facility. Whole brain parenchyma (BP) and regional brain volumes were derived from single time point MRI T1 images. Standard scores (z-scores) were computed by comparing individual brain volumes against corresponding volumes from healthy controls. A z-score cutoff of −1.96 was applied to separate pathologically atrophic from normal brain volumes for thalamus and whole BP (accepting a 2.5% error probability). Subgroup differences with respect to the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) and the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) were assessed. Results: Except for two, all MS patients showed either no atrophy (group 0: 61 RRMS patients, 10 SPMS patients); thalamic but no BP atrophy (group 1: 37 RRMS patients; 18 SPMS patients) or thalamic and BP atrophy (group 2: 28 RRMS patients; 29 SPMS patients). RRMS patients without atrophy and RRMS patients with thalamic atrophy did not differ in EDSS, however, patients with thalamus and BP atrophy showed significantly higher EDSS scores than patients in the other groups. Conclusion: MRI-based brain volumetry at a single time point is able to reliably distinguish MS patients with isolated thalamus atrophy (group 1) from those without brain atrophy (group 0). MS patients with isolated thalamus atrophy might be at risk for the development of widespread atrophy and disease progression. Since RRMS patients in group 0 and 1 are clinically not distinguishable, the proposed grouping may aid identification of RRMS patients at risk of disease progression and thus complement clinical evaluation in the routine patient care.

Correlation of MRI with the clinical status of patients with multiple sclerosis

Neurology, 1986

Next to the disseminated clinical symptoms, cognitive dysfunctions are common features of multiple sclerosis (MS). Over the recent years several different MRI measures became available representing the various features of the pathology, but the contribution to various clinical and cognitive functions is not yet fully understood. In this multiparametric MRI study we set out to identify the set of parameters that best predict the clinical and cognitive disability in MS. High resolution T1 weighted structural and high angular resolution diffusion MRI images were measured in 53 patients with relapsing remitting MS and 53 healthy controls. Clinical disability was inflicted by EDSS and cognitive functions were evaluated with the BICAMS tests. The contribution of lesion load, partial brain, white matter, gray matter and subcortical volumes as well as the diffusion parameters in the area of the lesions and the normal appearing white matter were examined by model free, partial least square (PLS) approach. Significance of the predictors was tested with Variable Importance in the Projection (VIP) score and 1 was used for threshold of significance. The PLS analysis indicated that the axial diffusivity of the NAWM contributed the most to the clinical disability (VIP score: 1.979). For the visuo-spatial working memory the most critical contributor was the size of the bilateral hippocampi (VIP scores: 1.183 and 1.2 left and right respectively). For the verbal memory the best predictors were the size of the right hippocampus (VIP score: 1.972), lesion load (VIP score: 1.274) and the partial brain volume (VIP score: 1.119). In case of the information processing speed the most significant contribution was from the diffusion parameters (fractional anisotropy, mean and radial diffusivity, VIP scores: 1.615, 1.321 respectively) of the normal appearing white matter. Our results indicate that various MRI measurable factors of MS pathology contribute differently to clinical and cognitive disability. These results point out the importance of the volumetry of the subcortical structures and the diffusion measures of the white matter in understanding the disability progression.

The relationship between whole brain volume and disability in multiple sclerosis: A comparison of normalized gray vs. white matter with misclassification correction

Neuroimage, 2005

We used SPM99 to obtain normalized whole brain volumes of gray matter, white matter, and total parenchyma in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) (n = 41) and age-/sex-matched normal controls (n = 18). As SPM99's automated gray/white matter volumes were significantly influenced by tissue compartment misclassification due to the effect of MS-related brain lesions, we corrected these automated volumes for misclassification before performing our primary analyses. For MS patients (disease duration = 9.5 T 6.3 years; EDSS score = 3.2 T 1.8; 25FTW = 6.6 T 3.1 s), we also measured lesion load total T1 hypointense [T1LV] and FLAIR hyperintense lesion volume [FLLV]), central brain atrophy (third ventricular width [TVW] and bicaudate ratio [BCR]), and clinical status (Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] and 25-ft timed walk [25FTW]