Contributions
Abstract: P1631
Type: LB Poster
Abstract Category: Late Breaking News
Introduction: Maximal lifetime brain growth (MLBG), as measured by intracranial volume (ICV), is decreased in pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) vs. age- and sex-matched healthy subjects, suggesting that MS may affect primary brain and skull growth with disease onset in childhood. In adults, MS is known to cause brain atrophy after disease onset but MLBG would not be expected to be affected, as the majority of skull growth occurs in the first ten years of life. Head circumference (HeC) is a known surrogate of ICV in adults. To date, MLBG, as measured by HeC, has not been compared in adult-onset MS patients vs. healthy volunteers (HVs).
Objective: To compare HeC (as a surrogate of MLBG) in MS patients with disease onset in adulthood vs. HVs.
Methods: 56 MS patients and 32 HVs were recruited from the St. Michael"s Hospital MS Clinic and from amongst hospital staff. HeC was measured using standard pediatric protocols and self-reported heights and weights were collected. Multivariable linear regression compared HeC in MS vs. HVs while controlling for age, sex, height and weight. Spearman"s correlation coefficient was utilized to assess correlations between HeC and clinical characteristics.
Results: MS patients were 63% female (39/56), had a mean age of 40 years, and a mean age at diagnosis of 33 years. 46 patients had relapsing-remitting MS, while 10 patients had progressive MS subtypes. HVs had a mean age of 42 years and 69% were female (22/32). There were no significant differences in age and sex in MS vs. HVs. HeC was decreased in MS vs. HVs (p< 0.05) even when controlling for the potentially confounding covariates of age, sex, height, and weight. In MS, HeC correlated with age at clinical disease onset (ρ=0.36, p< 0.01) and age at time of study (ρ=0.28, p< 0.05), while no such correlations were observed between HeC and age in HVs (ρ=0.11, p=0.54).
Conclusion: Adult-onset MS patients have smaller HeCs in comparison to HVs. Although these findings require confirmation in larger studies utilizing MRI, they suggest that MS may impact MLBG, even when clinical disease onset is in adulthood. As MLBG is largely determined in childhood during periods of maximal brain and skull rowth, these findings raise the possibility that relevant pathologic processes in adult onset MS may affect the trajectory of normal brain growth. If confirmed, these findings may have important implications for our understanding of the time window of MS pathogenesis.
Disclosure: Dr. Courtney Casserly has received personal compensation for consulting for EMD Serono and Genzyme, received travel grants from EMD Serono, and received funding for her fellowship from Biogen Idec.
Dr. Jiwon Oh has received personal compensation for consulting or speaking from: Biogen-Idec, EMD-Serono, Sanofi-Genzyme, Novartis, and Teva.
Dr. Bar-Or has received honoraria or consulting fees or grant support from Amplimmune, Bayhill Theraputics, Berlex/Bayer, Biogen Idex, Diogenix, Eli-Lilly, Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, Guthy Jackson/GGF, Merc-EMD Serono, Medimmune, Mitsubishi Pharma, Novatis, Ono Pharma, Receptos, Roche, Sanofi-Genzyme, Teva Neuroscience, Wyeth
Abstract: P1631
Type: LB Poster
Abstract Category: Late Breaking News
Introduction: Maximal lifetime brain growth (MLBG), as measured by intracranial volume (ICV), is decreased in pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) vs. age- and sex-matched healthy subjects, suggesting that MS may affect primary brain and skull growth with disease onset in childhood. In adults, MS is known to cause brain atrophy after disease onset but MLBG would not be expected to be affected, as the majority of skull growth occurs in the first ten years of life. Head circumference (HeC) is a known surrogate of ICV in adults. To date, MLBG, as measured by HeC, has not been compared in adult-onset MS patients vs. healthy volunteers (HVs).
Objective: To compare HeC (as a surrogate of MLBG) in MS patients with disease onset in adulthood vs. HVs.
Methods: 56 MS patients and 32 HVs were recruited from the St. Michael"s Hospital MS Clinic and from amongst hospital staff. HeC was measured using standard pediatric protocols and self-reported heights and weights were collected. Multivariable linear regression compared HeC in MS vs. HVs while controlling for age, sex, height and weight. Spearman"s correlation coefficient was utilized to assess correlations between HeC and clinical characteristics.
Results: MS patients were 63% female (39/56), had a mean age of 40 years, and a mean age at diagnosis of 33 years. 46 patients had relapsing-remitting MS, while 10 patients had progressive MS subtypes. HVs had a mean age of 42 years and 69% were female (22/32). There were no significant differences in age and sex in MS vs. HVs. HeC was decreased in MS vs. HVs (p< 0.05) even when controlling for the potentially confounding covariates of age, sex, height, and weight. In MS, HeC correlated with age at clinical disease onset (ρ=0.36, p< 0.01) and age at time of study (ρ=0.28, p< 0.05), while no such correlations were observed between HeC and age in HVs (ρ=0.11, p=0.54).
Conclusion: Adult-onset MS patients have smaller HeCs in comparison to HVs. Although these findings require confirmation in larger studies utilizing MRI, they suggest that MS may impact MLBG, even when clinical disease onset is in adulthood. As MLBG is largely determined in childhood during periods of maximal brain and skull rowth, these findings raise the possibility that relevant pathologic processes in adult onset MS may affect the trajectory of normal brain growth. If confirmed, these findings may have important implications for our understanding of the time window of MS pathogenesis.
Disclosure: Dr. Courtney Casserly has received personal compensation for consulting for EMD Serono and Genzyme, received travel grants from EMD Serono, and received funding for her fellowship from Biogen Idec.
Dr. Jiwon Oh has received personal compensation for consulting or speaking from: Biogen-Idec, EMD-Serono, Sanofi-Genzyme, Novartis, and Teva.
Dr. Bar-Or has received honoraria or consulting fees or grant support from Amplimmune, Bayhill Theraputics, Berlex/Bayer, Biogen Idex, Diogenix, Eli-Lilly, Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, Guthy Jackson/GGF, Merc-EMD Serono, Medimmune, Mitsubishi Pharma, Novatis, Ono Pharma, Receptos, Roche, Sanofi-Genzyme, Teva Neuroscience, Wyeth