What Causes Deep Gray Matter Atrophy in Multiple Sclerosis?

M.M Schoonheim,J.J.G Geurts

doi:10.3174/ajnr.a5942

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system. Patients often experience a complex combination of physical and cognitive symptoms, both of which are strongly disabling. Unfortunately, progression of disability and cognitive decline has

Highlights

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system
Results show that white matter lesion burden was the main correlate of deep gray matter (DGM) atrophy in RRMS, possibly indicating a role for Wallerian degeneration of connected fiber bundles, resulting in structural network disconnection and atrophy
In progressive MS, the most important correlates of atrophy were local microstructural damage and thalamic susceptibility, while lesion volumes did not strongly relate to atrophy. These results highlight an important point, namely that the cause and consequence of atrophy could vary among the different MS phenotypes and that these should be studied separately.[10]. This point is supported by recent findings that while some therapeutic options that target neuroinflammation in the white matter may impact thalamic atrophy in RRMS,[11] these do not impact disease progression in progressive MS.[12]

Summary

Introduction

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system. Results show that white matter lesion burden was the main correlate of DGM atrophy in RRMS, possibly indicating a role for Wallerian degeneration of connected fiber bundles, resulting in structural network disconnection and atrophy.

Results

Conclusion