TY - JOUR
T1 - Longitudinal brain volume measurement in multiple sclerosis
T2 - Rate of brain atrophy is independent of the disease subtype
AU - Kalkers, Nynke F.
AU - Ameziane, Najim
AU - Bot, Joost C.J.
AU - Minneboo, Arjan
AU - Polman, Chris H.
AU - Barkhof, Frederik
PY - 2002/10/1
Y1 - 2002/10/1
N2 - Background: In multiple sclerosis (MS), brain atrophy depicted by magnetic resonance imaging reflects over-all tissue loss, including axonal loss. Objective: To determine the course of atrophy by studying the rate of development of brain atrophy in patients who have different subtypes of MS. Methods: Eighty-three patients with MS (42 with relapsing-remitting, 21 with secondary progressive, and 20 with primary progressive) were studied longitudinally, with an interval of 2 to 4 years. Magnetic resonance imaging included T1 - and T2-weighted images to obtain 2 brain volume measurements: (1) the parenchymal fraction as a marker of global brain atrophy and (2) the ventricular fraction as a marker of central atrophy. The annualized rate of global and central brain atrophy was compared between those with different subtypes of MS and related to clinical characteristics, including sex, age, disease duration, and disability. Results: There was a significant decrease of the parenchymal fraction (-0.7% per year; SEM, 0.11% per year) and a significant increase of ventricular fraction (3.7% per year; SEM, 0.54% per year) in the total group. Significant tissue loss was also seen in all 3 subtypes of MS; the decrease in parenchymal fraction was not different between subtypes, whereas the increase in ventricular fraction tended to be larger in patients with secondary progressive MS compared with patients with primary progressive MS. Marginal associations were found between clinical determinants and the rate of brain atrophy. Annualized increase in the ventricular fraction was correlated with age (r=-0.26) and duration of symptoms (r=-0.22): younger patients (mainly patients with relapsing-remitting MS who have a limited disability) displayed a larger increase in ventricular fraction compared with older patients. Conclusions: The rate of development of brain atrophy is largely independent of the course of the disease and other clinical characteristics. The relentless loss of tissue occurring in MS is not restricted to later (progressive) phases of the disease, thereby stressing the need for early neuroprotective treatment in MS.
AB - Background: In multiple sclerosis (MS), brain atrophy depicted by magnetic resonance imaging reflects over-all tissue loss, including axonal loss. Objective: To determine the course of atrophy by studying the rate of development of brain atrophy in patients who have different subtypes of MS. Methods: Eighty-three patients with MS (42 with relapsing-remitting, 21 with secondary progressive, and 20 with primary progressive) were studied longitudinally, with an interval of 2 to 4 years. Magnetic resonance imaging included T1 - and T2-weighted images to obtain 2 brain volume measurements: (1) the parenchymal fraction as a marker of global brain atrophy and (2) the ventricular fraction as a marker of central atrophy. The annualized rate of global and central brain atrophy was compared between those with different subtypes of MS and related to clinical characteristics, including sex, age, disease duration, and disability. Results: There was a significant decrease of the parenchymal fraction (-0.7% per year; SEM, 0.11% per year) and a significant increase of ventricular fraction (3.7% per year; SEM, 0.54% per year) in the total group. Significant tissue loss was also seen in all 3 subtypes of MS; the decrease in parenchymal fraction was not different between subtypes, whereas the increase in ventricular fraction tended to be larger in patients with secondary progressive MS compared with patients with primary progressive MS. Marginal associations were found between clinical determinants and the rate of brain atrophy. Annualized increase in the ventricular fraction was correlated with age (r=-0.26) and duration of symptoms (r=-0.22): younger patients (mainly patients with relapsing-remitting MS who have a limited disability) displayed a larger increase in ventricular fraction compared with older patients. Conclusions: The rate of development of brain atrophy is largely independent of the course of the disease and other clinical characteristics. The relentless loss of tissue occurring in MS is not restricted to later (progressive) phases of the disease, thereby stressing the need for early neuroprotective treatment in MS.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036791829&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1001/archneur.59.10.1572
DO - https://doi.org/10.1001/archneur.59.10.1572
M3 - Article
C2 - 12374494
SN - 0003-9942
VL - 59
SP - 1572
EP - 1576
JO - Archives of neurology
JF - Archives of neurology
IS - 10
ER -