Brain volume dynamics in multiple sclerosis. A case-control study

ABSTRACT

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to explore the extent and clinical relevance of brain volume dynamics in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

Methods: Sixty-three patients with RRMS with a disease duration of about 5 years (36 women, mean age 39.9 ± 9.4 years; mean EDSS1.4 ± 1.2, mean relapse rate 0.98 ± 1.17) and 50 healthy control individuals (24 women, mean age 39.1 ± 10.2 years) were recruited and imaged on a MRI scanner by using post-gadolinium high-resolution3D T1W sequences. Cross-sectional and longitudinal volumetric data were obtained by using SIENA(X) and FIRST software.

Results: Patients showed significantly lower subcortical volumes compared to healthy controls. Interestingly, the educational level predicted the rate of right thalamus atrophy. The mean annualized percentage of brain volume change (aPBVC) was −0.92% (±1.64%) and was presented in higher rates during the first five years after MS diagnosis.

Conclusion: Brain atrophy mainly involved subcortical grey matter structures and was more conspicuous during the first years of MS diagnosis. The buffering role of education in atrophy was also corroborated by this study.

KEYWORDS:

• Multiple sclerosis
• volumetric
• MRI
• brain
• atrophy
• BVL

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Athina Andravizou

Athina Andravizou is a Neurology resident at the Hellenic National Health System, with a Masters’ in Neuropsychology and holds a medical and a psychology degree. She is currently a doctoral student at the Laboratory of Neurogenetics of the University Hospital of Larissa where she carries out research in the area of “Cognitive impairment and brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis”. She has published papers in international conferences and academic journals. Her research interests are focused on neurodegeneration, brain atrophy, multiple sclerosis, neuro-immunology.

Artemios Artemiadis

Artemios Artemiadis is a visiting Assistant Professor of Neurology in the Medical School of University of Cyprus. He obtained his MD, MSc and PhD degrees from Medical School of the Kapodistrian University of Athens. He collaborates with research labs and clinics at the Medical School of the Kapodistrian University of Athens. He teaches neurology and psychoneuroendocrinology in the affiliated universities and he has publications in peer-reviewed journals and conferences. He has contributed chapters in books and e-learning programs. His main academic and research interests fall in the fields of multiple sclerosis, volumetric analysis of nervous system imaging, psychoneuroendocrinology of stress, neurophysiology and clinical research of neurological diseases. He mentors and supervises several MSc students. He is also a reviewer in several peer-reviewed neurological journals.

Christos Bakirtzis

Christos Bakirtzis is a neurologist and currently works as a treating physician in the Multiple Sclerosis Center, B’ Dep. of Neurology of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki He also holds a master degree in Social Psychiatry. He has participated in numerous multicenter clinical trials regarding novel therapies in Multiple Sclerosis. His fields of interests include neuropsychology, neuroradiology and neuroimmunology.

Vasileios Siokas

Vasileios Siokas (MD, MSc, PhD) is a resident in Neurology. He is a researcher in the Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neurogenetics, University of Thessaly, University Hospital of Larissa, in Greece. His research focused in genetics of neurological diseases and meta-analyses of clinical and genetic studies.

Athina-Maria Aloizou

Athina-Maria Aloizou is a 6th year medical student of University of Thessaly. She has collaborated with the Neurology Department and the Neurogenetics Laboratory of the University Hospital of Larissa and has published several articles, on several subjects such as risk factor gene polymorphisms, neurotoxic pollutants and neurodegenerative diseases. She has been accepted for a third clerkship in the Neurology Department of the University Hospital of Greifswald in Germany.

Eleni Peristeri

Eleni Peristeri is a neurolinguist with a Master’s degree in Clinical Linguistics and a PhD in Neurolinguistics. She has several publications in the field of language and cognitive control processes in patients with post-stroke aphasia, normal ageing and neurodevelopmental disorders. She also has numerous oral presentations at renowned national and international conferences regarding neurodegenerative diseases, clinical aphasiology and bilingualism effects on the language and cognitive skills of individuals with language disorders. She’s been a lecturer under contract for six years at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, lecturing on models of language production and comprehension, first language acquisition and psycholinguistics, and she has recently earned a tenure track lecturer position at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Greece.

Eftychia Kapsalaki

Dr. Eftychia Kapsalaki is a professor of Radiology at the University of Thessaly, subspecialized in Diagnostic Neuroradiology. She has published more than 99 papers in peer reviewed journals and has presented more than 200 oral and poster presentations at national and international meetings.

Vana Tsimourtou

Vana Tsimourtou is a senior Neurologist in the neurologic department of the University Hospital of Larissa Greece and runs the outpatient multiple sclerosis clinic. She has several publications on the field of multiple sclerosis as well as poster presentations at national and international neurology conferences regarding multiple sclerosis. She has a PHD from Aristotle University of Thessaliniki Greece unter the title: Study of the immune responses of multiple sclerosis patients. She also provides continuing education on nurses, students and young neurologists.

Georgios M. Hadjigeorgiou

Georgios M. Hadjigeorgiou is a Professor of Neurology at the Medical Schools of University of Cyprus and University of Thessaly. His major research interest is in the field of genetic epidemiology of major neurological diseases including multiple sclerosis. His research output includes more than 250 PubMed publications with a Scopus h-index= 42 and more than 7000 citations.

Efthimios Dardiotis

Efthimios Dardiotis, is Assistant Professor of Neurology of the Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neurogenetics, University of Thessaly, University Hospital of Larissa, in Greece. His research focused in genetic epidemiology of neurological diseases.