Low-Field (64 mT) Portable MRI for Rapid Point-of-Care Diagnosis of Dissemination in Space in Patients Presenting with Optic Neuritis.

Background And Purpose: Low-field 64 mT portable brain MRI has recently shown diagnostic promise for MS. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of portable MRI (pMRI) in assessing dissemination in space (DIS) in patients presenting with optic neuritis and determine whether deploying pMRI in the MS clinic can shorten the time from symptom onset to MRI.

Materials And Methods: Newly diagnosed patients with optic neuritis referred to a tertiary academic MS center from July 2022 to January 2024 underwent both point-of-care pMRI and subsequent 3T conventional MRI (cMRI).

Differences in resting state functional connectivity relative to multiple sclerosis and impaired information processing speed.

Background: Fifty-one percent of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) develop cognitive impairment (CI) in information processing speed (IPS). Although IPS scores are associated with health and well-being, neural changes that underlie IPS impairments in MS are not understood. Resting state fMRI can provide insight into brain function changes underlying impairment in persons with MS.

Switching to second line MS disease-modifying therapies is associated with decreased relapse rate.

Background And Objectives: While randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) are the gold standard for determining treatment efficacy, they do not capture the effectiveness of treatment during real-world use. We aimed to evaluate the association between demographics and multiple sclerosis (MS) disease-modifying therapy (DMT) exposure, including treatment adherence and switches between different DMTs, on the risk of subsequent MS relapse.

Methods: All persons with relapsing-onset MS (pwRMS) living in Manitoba between 1999 and 2014 were identified from provincial healthcare databases using a validated case definition.

Vascular Disease Is Associated With Differences in Brain Structure and Lower Cognitive Functioning in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Vascular disease and cognitive impairment have been increasingly documented in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and both have been individually correlated with changes in brain structure. This study aimed to determine if both macro- and microstructural brain changes are prevalent in IBD and whether alterations in brain structure mediate the relationship between vascular disease and cognitive functioning.

Methods: Eighty-four IBD participants underwent multimodal magnetic resonance imaging.

The comorbidity and cognition in multiple sclerosis (CCOMS) neuroimaging protocol: Study rationale, MRI acquisition, and minimal image processing pipelines.

The Comorbidity and Cognition in Multiple Sclerosis (CCOMS) study represents a coordinated effort by a team of clinicians, neuropsychologists, and neuroimaging experts to investigate the neural basis of cognitive changes and their association with comorbidities among persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). The objectives are to determine the relationships among psychiatric (e.g.

Within-person fluctuations over three years in depression, anxiety, fatigue, and health-related quality of life in multiple sclerosis.

Background: Longitudinal studies of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in multiple sclerosis (MS) are limited. Most have examined average changes within the population, rather than dynamic changes within individuals.

Objective: To assess the between- and within-individual association between depression, anxiety, fatigue, cognition, physical functioning, and physical comorbidities and HRQoL.

Pain and participation in social activities in people with relapsing remitting and progressive multiple sclerosis.

Background: Differences in pain between subtypes of multiple sclerosis are understudied.

Objective: To compare the prevalence of pain, and the association between pain and: (a) pain interference and (b) social participation in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis and progressive multiple sclerosis.

Methods: Participants completed the McGill Pain Questionnaire Short-Form-2, Pain Effects Scale and Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities-V2.

Assessment of differential item functioning of the PHQ-9, HADS-D and PROMIS-depression scales in persons with and without multiple sclerosis.

Objective: We tested for the presence of differential item functioning (DIF) in commonly used measures of depressive symptoms, in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) versus people with a psychiatric disorder without MS.

Methods: Participants included individuals with MS, or with a lifetime history of a depressive or anxiety disorder (Dep/Anx) but no immune-mediated inflammatory disease. Participants completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS)-Depression.

Well-being and flourishing mental health in adults with inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis in Manitoba, Canada: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: Among people with immune-mediated inflammatory disease (IMID), including multiple sclerosis (MS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) most research has focused on mental illness rather than on mental health. We assessed dimensions of mental health among persons with IMID and compared them across IMID. We also evaluated demographic and clinical characteristics associated with flourishing mental health.

Vascular comorbidity is associated with decreased cognitive functioning in inflammatory bowel disease.

Reports of cognitive impairment in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have been mixed. IBD and cardiovascular disease are often co-morbid, yet it remains unknown whether vascular comorbidity confers a risk for decreased cognitive functioning, as observed in other populations. Participants with IBD were recruited from a longitudinal study of immune-mediated disease.

Use of Benzodiazepines and Z-Drugs in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Introduction: We estimated the incidence and prevalence of benzodiazepine and Z-drug (separately and jointly as BZD) use in the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) population compared with matched controls without IBD and examined the association of mood/anxiety disorders (M/ADs) with the use of BZD from 1997 to 2017.

Methods: Using administrative data from Manitoba, Canada, we identified 5,741 persons with incident IBD who were matched in a 1:5 ratio to controls on sex, birth year, and region. Validated case definitions were used to identify M/AD.

Effects of Vascular Comorbidity on Cognition in Multiple Sclerosis Are Partially Mediated by Changes in Brain Structure.

Objective: Vascular comorbidities are associated with reduced cognitive performance and with changes in brain structure in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Understanding causal pathways is necessary to support the design of interventions to mitigate the impacts of comorbidities, and to monitor their effectiveness. We assessed the inter-relationships among vascular comorbidity, cognition and brain structure in people with MS.

Use of Benzodiazepines and Z-Drugs in Multiple Sclerosis.

Objective: Use of benzodiazepines and Z-drugs (non-benzodiazepine sedative hypnotics) is controversial due to adverse health outcomes in the general population. However, little is known about their use in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). We estimated the incidence and prevalence of benzodiazepine and Z-drug use (jointly BZD) in the MS population as compared to an age-, sex- and geographically-matched population without MS, and examined the association of mood/anxiety disorders with the use of BZD over a twenty-year period.

Depressive symptom trajectories and polygenic risk scores in individuals with an immune-mediated inflammatory disease.

Objective: To develop group-based trajectories of depressive symptoms in immune-mediated inflammatory disease (IMID) to understand their evolution and identify any associated factors, with the overall goal of identifying those at highest risk of higher depressive symptom burden.

Method: 922 participants had an IMID or anxiety/depression. The PHQ-9 was administered at four visits, and polygenic risk scores (PRS) for major depressive disorder, depressive symptoms, and body mass index (BMI) were generated.

Mesenchymal stem cell therapy and cognition in MS: Preliminary findings from a phase II clinical trial.

Background: Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapies are being evaluated in multiple sclerosis (MS) for possible neural repair. To date, the potential benefits on cognition have received little attention. The objective of the current study was to comprehensively evaluate cognition before and after MSC therapy in those with MS as part of a double-blind, phase II clinical trial.

Development of an indicator of smoking status for people with multiple sclerosis in administrative data.

Background: Administrative data lack health behavior information.

Methods: We developed an administrative case definition for past or current ('ever smoking') in 1320 individuals with MS from Manitoba, Canada. Candidate indicators for 'ever smoked' included smoking cessation medications, and diagnosis codes for tobacco use and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, using variable lookback periods.

High or increasing serum NfL is predictive of impending multiple sclerosis relapses.

Background: One-off serum levels of neurofilament light chain (sNfL) is an established predictor of emerging disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the importance of longitudinal increases in sNfL is yet to be enumerated, an important consideration as this test is translated for serial monitoring. Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (sGFAP) is another biomarker of predictive interest.

Development and Internal Validation of a Disability Algorithm for Multiple Sclerosis in Administrative Data.

We developed and internally validated an algorithm for disability status in multiple sclerosis (MS) using administrative data. We linked administrative data from Manitoba, Canada to a clinical dataset with Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores for people with MS. Clinical EDSS scores constituted the reference standard.

Childhood Maltreatment and Psychiatric Comorbidity in Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Disorders.

Objective: To determine whether childhood maltreatment is associated with immune-mediated inflammatory disorders (IMIDs; multiple sclerosis [MS], inflammatory bowel disease [IBD], and rheumatoid arthritis [RA]). We further aimed to determine the relationship between maltreatment and psychiatric comorbidity in IMIDs and whether these relationships differed across IMID.

Methods: Six hundred eighty-one participants (MS, 232; IBD, 216; RA, 130; healthy controls, 103) completed a structured psychiatric interview to identify psychiatric disorders, and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire to evaluate five types of maltreatment: emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, and physical neglect.

Effect of comorbid mood and anxiety disorders on breast and cervical cancer screening in immune-mediated inflammatory disease.

We aimed to examine rates of breast and cervical cancer screening in women with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID), including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), multiple sclerosis (MS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) versus a matched cohort with IMID; and examine the association of psychiatric comorbidity with screening in these populations. We conducted a retrospective cohort study in Manitoba, Canada using administrative data. We identified women with IBD, MS and RA, and controls without these IMID matched on age and region.

Higher Framingham Risk Scores are associated with greater loss of brain volume over time in multiple sclerosis.

Background: Few studies have evaluated the association between comorbidities associated with increased vascular risk and brain volume changes in multiple sclerosis (MS). To date, findings have not been consistent with respect to which comorbidities are associated with lower brain volumes or whether comorbidities associated with increased vascular risk are associated with greater brain volume loss over time.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the association between the Framingham Risk Score (FRS) which evaluates vascular risk and normalized whole brain volume in MS.

Uptake of influenza vaccination among persons with inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis: a population-based matched cohort study.

Background: Individuals with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, are at increased risk for influenza and related complications. We examined and compared the uptake of influenza vaccination among people with and without these diseases, as well as the influence of psychiatric comorbidity on vaccine uptake.

Methods: Using administrative data from Apr.

Performance of Regression-Based Norms for Cognitive Functioning of Persons With Multiple Sclerosis in an Independent Sample.

Cognitive impairment is common in multiple sclerosis (MS). Interpretation of neuropsychological tests requires the use of normative data. Traditionally, normative data have been reported for discrete categories such as age.

Effect of mood and anxiety disorders on health care utilization in multiple sclerosis.

Background: Little is known about the effects of changes in the presence or absence of psychiatric disorders on health care utilization in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Objective: To evaluate the association between "active" mood and anxiety disorders (MAD) and health care utilization in MS.

Methods: Using administrative data from Manitoba, Canada, we identified 4748 persons with MS and 24,154 persons without MS matched on sex, birth year, and region.