The Development of Subcortical Gray Matter Atrophy in Multiple Sclerosis: One Size Does Not Fit All

Giuseppe Pontillo ,Sirio Cocozza ,Maria Petracca ,Arturo Brunetti

doi:10.3174/ajnr.a6698

Abstract

Deep gray matter involvement is a relevant feature of multiple sclerosis.[1][1] Indeed, atrophy of subcortical structures, especially the thalamus, occurs in early phases and continues throughout the disease course,[2][2] showing a strong potential for the prediction of disability[3][3] and

Highlights

Deep gray matter involvement is a relevant feature of multiple sclerosis.[1]
Despite its pathophysiologic and clinical relevance, what drives this typical pattern of neurodegeneration in MS remains partially unclear, probably including a combination of primary local neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative pathologic processes and secondary effects from remote injury in other parts of the brain via anterograde/retrograde degeneration and/or spreading of inflammation along axonal pathways.[5]
The study by Kalinin et al,[6] published in a recent issue of the American Journal of Neuroradiology, explores the impact of purely intracortical lesions compared with white matter lesions (WMLs) on the volumes of deep gray matter structures in a cohort of patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS, n 1⁄4 54), secondary-progressive MS (SPMS, n 1⁄4 12), and primary-progressive MS (PPMS, n 1⁄4 5)

Summary

Introduction

Deep gray matter involvement is a relevant feature of multiple sclerosis.[1]. atrophy of subcortical structures, especially the thalamus, occurs in early phases and continues throughout the disease course,[2] showing a strong potential for the prediction of disability[3] and cognitive impairment.[4].

Results

Conclusion