Contributions
Abstract: P1026
Type: Poster
Abstract Category: Pathology and pathogenesis of MS - Imaging
The objective was to assess whether changes in the volume of the thalamus during the onset of multiple sclerosis (MS) may help to predict cognitive impairment after accounting for the effects of brain volume loss.
Methods: a prospective study included patients with RRMS, with less than three years of disease onset (defined as the firs demyelinating symptom), EDSS ≤3, no history of cognitive impairment and at least two year of follow up. Patients were clinically evaluated during follow-up with annual brain MRI and neuropsychological evaluations for two years. Neuropsychological (NP) testing, acquired using standarized methods, evaluated measures of memory, information processing speed and executive function. After two years, the groups of patients with and without cognitive impairment (CI and noCI respectively) were identified. Brain dual-echo, high-resolution T1-3D weighted and DT MRI scans were acquired at baseline and every 12 months during 2 years. Between-group differences of thalamus volume, general and regional gray matter, white matter volumes and T2 lesion load were assessed using FIRST, SIENA, SIENAXr, FIRST and SepInria software (Logistic regression analysis p < 0.05 significant).
Results: 61 patients, mean age 38.4 years, 35 (57%) women were included. At 2 years of follow up, 17 (28%) were CI. CI patients exhibited significantly slower information processing speed and attentional deficits vs. noCI patients (p< 0.001 and p= 0.02 respectively). In the CI group a significant reduction in percentage of the thalamus volume (p < 0.001) was observed compared with noCI group after accounting for influence of demographics and brain volume loss.
Conclusion: We observed a significant role of thalamus atrophy in MS-related CI after controlling for the influence of general and neocortex atrophy.
Disclosure: JI Rojas has received honoraria from Novartis as a scientific advisor. He has received travel grants and attended courses and conferences on behalf of Merck-Serono Argentina, Novartis Argentina.
E Cristiano has received fees for consultations as a scientific advisory board member and for travel to meetings, conferences and clinical trials of the following companies: Avanir, Bayer, Biogen, Merck, Novartis and Teva.
L Patrucco has received honoraria for scientific and research grants from Teva Tuteur, Merck Serono, Biogen Idec and Bayer Schering.
J. Miguez, F Sanchez declares no conflict of interest
Abstract: P1026
Type: Poster
Abstract Category: Pathology and pathogenesis of MS - Imaging
The objective was to assess whether changes in the volume of the thalamus during the onset of multiple sclerosis (MS) may help to predict cognitive impairment after accounting for the effects of brain volume loss.
Methods: a prospective study included patients with RRMS, with less than three years of disease onset (defined as the firs demyelinating symptom), EDSS ≤3, no history of cognitive impairment and at least two year of follow up. Patients were clinically evaluated during follow-up with annual brain MRI and neuropsychological evaluations for two years. Neuropsychological (NP) testing, acquired using standarized methods, evaluated measures of memory, information processing speed and executive function. After two years, the groups of patients with and without cognitive impairment (CI and noCI respectively) were identified. Brain dual-echo, high-resolution T1-3D weighted and DT MRI scans were acquired at baseline and every 12 months during 2 years. Between-group differences of thalamus volume, general and regional gray matter, white matter volumes and T2 lesion load were assessed using FIRST, SIENA, SIENAXr, FIRST and SepInria software (Logistic regression analysis p < 0.05 significant).
Results: 61 patients, mean age 38.4 years, 35 (57%) women were included. At 2 years of follow up, 17 (28%) were CI. CI patients exhibited significantly slower information processing speed and attentional deficits vs. noCI patients (p< 0.001 and p= 0.02 respectively). In the CI group a significant reduction in percentage of the thalamus volume (p < 0.001) was observed compared with noCI group after accounting for influence of demographics and brain volume loss.
Conclusion: We observed a significant role of thalamus atrophy in MS-related CI after controlling for the influence of general and neocortex atrophy.
Disclosure: JI Rojas has received honoraria from Novartis as a scientific advisor. He has received travel grants and attended courses and conferences on behalf of Merck-Serono Argentina, Novartis Argentina.
E Cristiano has received fees for consultations as a scientific advisory board member and for travel to meetings, conferences and clinical trials of the following companies: Avanir, Bayer, Biogen, Merck, Novartis and Teva.
L Patrucco has received honoraria for scientific and research grants from Teva Tuteur, Merck Serono, Biogen Idec and Bayer Schering.
J. Miguez, F Sanchez declares no conflict of interest