Interferon β1a treatment does not influence serum Epstein-Barr virus antibodies in patients with multiple sclerosis.

There is increasing evidence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) being conditional in multiple sclerosis (MS) pathogenesis and influential for disease activity. Interferon-beta (IFNβ) is a cytokine with antiviral effects used to treat MS, in which a possible antiviral effect against EBV has been questioned. In this study, we investigated the effect of IFNβ-1a treatment on serum EBV antibody levels in 84 patients with relapsing-remitting MS.

The Effect of Smoking on Long-term Gray Matter Atrophy and Clinical Disability in Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis.

Background And Objectives: The relationship between smoking, long-term brain atrophy, and clinical disability in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is unclear. Here, we assessed long-term effects of smoking by evaluating MRI and clinical outcome measures after 10 years in smoking and nonsmoking patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS).

Methods: We included 85 treatment-naive patients with RRMS with recent inflammatory disease activity who participated in a 10-year follow-up visit after a multicenter clinical trial of 24 months.

Serum neurofilament as a predictor of 10-year grey matter atrophy and clinical disability in multiple sclerosis: a longitudinal study.

Background: The predictive value of serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) on long-term prognosis in multiple sclerosis (MS) is still unclear.

Objective: Investigate the relation between sNfL levels over a 2-year period in patients with relapsing-remitting MS, and clinical disability and grey matter (GM) atrophy after 10 years.

Methods: 85 patients, originally enrolled in a multicentre, randomised trial of ω-3 fatty acids, participated in a 10-year follow-up visit.

Relationship Between White Matter Lesions and Gray Matter Atrophy in Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review.

Background And Objectives: There is currently no consensus about the extent of gray matter (GM) atrophy that can be attributed to secondary changes after white matter (WM) lesions or the temporal and spatial relationships between the 2 phenomena. Elucidating this interplay will broaden the understanding of the combined inflammatory and neurodegenerative pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis (MS), and separating atrophic changes due to primary and secondary neurodegenerative mechanisms will then be pivotal to properly evaluate treatment effects, especially if these treatments target the different processes individually. To untangle these complex pathologic mechanisms, this systematic review provides an essential first step: an objective and comprehensive overview of the existing in vivo knowledge of the relationship between brain WM lesions and GM atrophy in patients diagnosed with MS.

The effect of gadolinium-based contrast-agents on automated brain atrophy measurements by FreeSurfer in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Objective: To determine whether reliable brain atrophy measures can be obtained from post-contrast 3D T1-weighted images in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) using FreeSurfer.

Methods: Twenty-two patients with MS were included, in which 3D T1-weighted MR images were obtained during the same scanner visit, with the same acquisition protocol, before and after administration of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs). Two FreeSurfer versions (v.

Treatment non-adherence as a trigger for status epilepticus: An observational, retrospective study based on therapeutic drug monitoring.

Purpose: To investigate the role of non-adherence to antiepileptic drug treatment as a trigger for status epilepticus (SE).

Methods: 124 consecutive admissions for SE in patients with established epilepsy were studied. Those who had had therapeutic drug monitoring at admission were identified.