Association of the Cervical Canal Area With Disability and Progression in People With Multiple Sclerosis.

Background And Objectives: In multiple sclerosis (MS), brain reserve serves as a protective factor against cognitive impairment. Previous research has suggested a structural counterpart in the spine-spinal cord reserve-seemed to be associated with physical disability. This study aimed to investigate the potential of the cervical canal area (CCaA) as a proxy for spinal cord reserve in a multicentric cohort of people with MS (PwMS).

NSAID exposure delays time-to-pregnancy in patients with spondyloarthritis: an analysis of the GR2 prospective cohort.

Background: The impact of disease activity and treatment on fertility outcomes in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) has been little explored. This study aimed to describe median time to pregnancy (TTP) in women with SpA and the factors influencing TTP in this population.

Methods: This prospective observational multicentre (63 centres) French cohort (GR2 study-NCT02450396) included consecutive women with a diagnosis of SpA (according to their rheumatologist) who wanted to become pregnant between 2015 and 2021.

A retrospective two-center cohort study of the bidirectional relationship between depression and tinnitus-related distress.

Background: Tinnitus can cause considerable psychological distress among patients, particularly if comorbidities occur. Despite a strong relationship between tinnitus-related distress and depression, the underlying mechanisms represent a long-standing question. By investigating the co-development of tinnitus-related distress and depressiveness throughout therapy, we capture the dynamic interplay of both conditions and uncover underlying common features mediating their link.

Improvement in spinal pain at night and its impact on long-term outcomes in radiographic axial spondyloarthritis: Results from Ixekizumab COAST-V randomised trial.

Introduction: Spinal pain at night is a major contributor to the patient burden of radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA), resulting in substantial functional limitations and impairment of health-related quality of life (QoL). Ixekizumab (IXE), an interleukin-17A inhibitor, has shown efficacy in patients with r-axSpA.

Objective: To assess spinal pain at night improvement up to week (W) 52 in COAST-V and to determine if clinically important improvement in spinal pain at night at W16 is associated with improvement in disease activity and other patient-reported outcomes (PROs) at W16 and W52.

Disentangling Neurodegeneration From Aging in Multiple Sclerosis Using Deep Learning: The Brain-Predicted Disease Duration Gap.

Background And Objectives: Disentangling brain aging from disease-related neurodegeneration in patients with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) is increasingly topical. The brain-age paradigm offers a window into this problem but may miss disease-specific effects. In this study, we investigated whether a disease-specific model might complement the brain-age gap (BAG) by capturing aspects unique to MS.

Bridging the Language Gap in Healthcare: Implementing a Qualified Medical Interpreter Program for Lesser-Spoken Languages.

Linguistic inequity drives systemic disparities in healthcare for non-native English speakers. This study evaluates a project to train and provide qualified medical interpreters (QMI) to assist volunteer and safety-net clinics and community-based organizations in supporting healthcare for immigrants and refugees. We provided scholarships to bilingual community members to take a medical interpreter training course and developed a workforce for those who passed the training course.

A future of AI-driven personalized care for people with multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a devastating immune-mediated disorder of the central nervous system resulting in progressive disability accumulation. As there is no cure available yet for MS, the primary therapeutic objective is to reduce relapses and to slow down disability progression as early as possible during the disease to maintain and/or improve health-related quality of life. However, optimizing treatment for people with MS (pwMS) is complex and challenging due to the many factors involved and in particular, the high degree of clinical and sub-clinical heterogeneity in disease progression among pwMS.

Aseptic meningitis with recurrent headache episodes, vomiting, and central fever as first manifestation of isolated neurosarcoidosis: a case report.

Background: Neurosarcoidosis is a rare entity, usually within the context of systematic sarcoidosis. Isolated neurosarcoidosis and especially a manifestation with pachymeningitis is a notable rarity.

Case Report: A 26-year-old patient presented to the emergency department with acute onset, recurrent episodes of occipital headaches spreading over the whole cranium and vomiting without food consumption, for three days.

Tomosynthesis performance compared to radiography and computed tomography for sacroiliac joint structural damage detection in patients with suspected axial spondyloarthritis.

Purpose: To compare tomosynthesis performance to radiography for the differentiation of sacroiliitis versus normal or degenerative changes in sacroiliac joints in patients with suspected axial spondyloarthritis (SpA).

Materials And Methods: Radiography, tomosynthesis and CT of sacroiliac joints (29 patients) were performed on the same day in consecutive patients with suspected SpA. The examinations were retrospectively read independently, blinded by two radiologists (one junior and one senior, and twice by one junior).

Cortical atrophy patterns in myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease.

Objectives: Global brain volume changes in patients with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease compared with healthy controls (HC) could be revealed by magnetic resonance imaging, but specific atrophy patterns of cortical structures and relation to cognitive impairment are not yet comprehensively known. Thus, we aimed to investigate cortical thickness differences in patients with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease compared with HC.

Methods: 3-Tesla brain magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 23 patients with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease and 49 HC for voxel-wise group comparisons and neuropsychological testing in patients.

Early clinical response associates with long-term outcomes with ixekizumab in radiographic axial spondyloarthritis.

Background: The Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society-European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology recommendations for axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) management include patient assessment for biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (bDMARD) treatment response after at least 12 weeks of treatment. The current treat-to-target strategy for axSpA is to achieve inactive disease (ID; Axial Spondyloarthritis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) <1.3) or at least low disease activity (LDA; 1.

Speech Biomarkers in Huntington's Disease: A Longitudinal Follow-Up Study in Premanifest Mutation Carriers.

Speech alterations have been reported in manifest Huntington's disease (HD) and premanifest mutation carriers (preHD). The aim of our study was to explore these alterations in preHD and whether they can be used as biomarkers. 13 preHD mutation carriers performed reading task, sustained phonation task and syllable repetition tasks at baseline and after 21 months, as well as clinical examination and MRI.

Greater cortical thinning and microstructural integrity loss in myotonic dystrophy type 1 compared to myotonic dystrophy type 2.

Background: Myotonic dystrophy is a multisystem disorder characterized by widespread organic involvement including central nervous system symptoms. Although myotonic dystrophy disease types 1 (DM1) and 2 (DM2) cover a similar spectrum of symptoms, more pronounced clinical and brain alterations have been described in DM1. Here, we investigated brain volumetric and white matter alterations in both disease types and compared to healthy controls (HC).

Unmet needs in axial spondyloarthritis. Proceedings of the French spondyloarthritis taskforce workshop.

The progress observed over the last 30 years in the field of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) has not made it possible to answer all the current questions. This manuscript represents the proceedings of the meeting of the French spondyloArthitiS Task force (FAST) in Besançon on September 28 and 29, 2023. Different points of discussion were thus individualized as unmet needs: biomarkers for early diagnosis and disease activity, a common electronic file dedicated to SpA nationwide, a better comprehension of dysbiosis in the disease, a check-list for addressing to the rheumatologist, adapt patient reported outcomes thresholds for female gender, implementation of comorbidities screening programs, new imaging tools, in research cellular and multi omics approaches, grouping, at a nationwide level, different cohorts and registries, therapeutic strategy studies, consensual definition of difficult to treat disease and management, preclinical stage of the disease, mastering AI as a tool in the various aspects of research.

Grey Matter Atrophy and its Relationship with White Matter Lesions in Patients with Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibody-associated Disease, Aquaporin-4 Antibody-Positive Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder, and Multiple Sclerosis.

Objective: To evaluate: (1) the distribution of gray matter (GM) atrophy in myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD), aquaporin-4 antibody-positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (AQP4+NMOSD), and relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS); and (2) the relationship between GM volumes and white matter lesions in various brain regions within each disease.

Methods: A retrospective, multicenter analysis of magnetic resonance imaging data included patients with MOGAD/AQP4+NMOSD/RRMS in non-acute disease stage. Voxel-wise analyses and general linear models were used to evaluate the relevance of regional GM atrophy.

Standardized reporting for systematic global evaluation of axial spondyloarthritis: An evidence-based and consensus-driven initiative.

Introduction: National and international scientific societies advocate for a regular, systematic, and standardized global evaluation of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) patients. However, there are no recommendations specifying the content of this global evaluation. This initiative aimed to propose a standardized reporting framework, using evidence-based and consensus approaches, to collect data on all domains of axSpA.

Impact of the time of initiation and line of biologic therapy on the retention rate of secukinumab in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA): data from the French multicentre retrospective FORSYA study.

Objective: To compare the 1-year retention rate of secukinumab in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and its predisposing factors with regard to its time of initiation (eg, right after or remotely from its launch).

Methods: Study design: Retrospective multicentre French study of patients with axSpA. Study periods: Two cohorts were evaluated regarding the time of initiation of secukinumab: cohort 1 (C1)-between 16 August 2016 and 31 August 2018-and cohort 2 (C2)-between 1 September 2018 and 13 November 2020.

A smartphone application to reduce problematic drinking: a feasibility trial.

Background: Problematic drinking is common among college students and associated with various somatic and mental health problems. Given significant evidence for the efficacy of smartphone-based interventions and the frequent use of smartphones among college students, it can be assumed that such interventions have great potential to facilitate access to evidence-based interventions for students suffering from problematic drinking. Thus, we developed a brief intervention that combined a counseling session with an app that utilizes approach-avoidance modification training to reduce alcohol consumption.

Risk of severe infection associated with immunoglobulin deficiency under rituximab therapy in immune-mediated inflammatory disease.

Objectives: We evaluated the risk of severe infection in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory disease (IMID) treated with RTX and with Ig deficiency.

Methods: This was an observational, retrospective single-centre study of patients undergoing treatment with at least one rituximab (RTX) infusion for an IMID until 31 May 2020. Patients were followed up for at least 12 months after the last infusion or until severe infection or death.

Frequency of irritable bowel syndrome in spondyloarthritis: a multicentric cross-sectional study and meta-analysis.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of symptoms and factors associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in axial spondyloarthritis (ax-SpA).

Methods: In a cross-sectional multicentric study, consecutive patients with ax-SpA treated with biologics in five rheumatology departments were asked for IBS Rome IV criteria. Demographic data, lifestyle behaviours and disease characteristics were recorded.

Automatic estimation of brain parenchymal fraction in patients with multple sclerosis: a comparison between synthetic MRI and an established automated brain segmentation software based on FSL.

Purpose: We aimed to validate the estimation of the brain parenchymal fraction (BPF) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) using synthetic magnetic resonance imaging (SyMRI) by comparison with software tools of the FMRIB Software Library (FSL). In addition to a cross-sectional method comparison, longitudinal volume changes were assessed to further elucidate the suitability of SyMRI for quantification of disease-specific changes.

Methods: MRI data from 216 patients with MS and 28 control participants were included for volume estimation by SyMRI and FSL-SIENAX.