No evidence of disease activity in multiple sclerosis patients

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease that affects 2.5 million people in the world. NEDA (No evidence of disease Activity) −4 is a new concept related to absence of disease activity in the context of MS. It takes into account the following four parameters: relapses; disability progression; lesion load and brain atrophy.

Areas covered: The purpose of this paper is to visit the new emerging concepts of NEDA. Although it is considered important and attractive, there is a lack of uniformity.

Expert commentary: Although NEDA-4 embraces important markers of disease activity and degeneration, this definition is still evolving and other parameters apart from the loss of brain volume might be included, especially those related to disability, such as cognitive problems, visual function, fatigue and pain.

KEYWORDS:

• Multiple sclerosis
• NEDA
• demyelinating disease
• drugs
• neuroimmunology

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.