Tailoring Rituximab According to CD27-Positive B-Cell versus CD19-Positive B-Cell Monitoring in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder and MOG-Associated Disease: Results from a Single-Center Study.

Introduction: B-cell-depleting agents have been widely used for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and MOG-associated diseases (MOGAD), but no consensus exists on the optimal dose and frequency of treatment administration. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of a Rituximab (RTX) personalized treatment approach based on CD27-positive B-cell monitoring on efficacy, safety, and infusion rates.

Methods: This is a retrospective, uncontrolled, single-center study including patients with NMOSD and MOGAD treated with RTX at a tertiary multiple sclerosis center at the San Luigi University Hospital, Orbassano, Italy.

In-vivo characterization of macro- and microstructural injury of the subventricular zone in relapsing-remitting and progressive multiple sclerosis.

Introduction: The subventricular zone (SVZ) represents one of the main adult brain neurogenesis niche. In-vivo imaging of SVZ is very challenging and little is known about MRI correlates of SVZ macro- and micro-structural injury in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.

Methods: The aim of the present study is to evaluate differences in terms of volume and microstructural changes [as assessed with the novel Spherical Mean Technique (SMT) model, evaluating: Neurite Signal fraction (INTRA); Extra-neurite transverse (EXTRATRANS) and mean diffusivity (EXTRAMD)] in SVZ between relapsing-remitting (RR) or progressive (P) MS patients and healthy controls (HC).

Central vein sign and diffusion MRI differentiate microstructural features within white matter lesions of multiple sclerosis patients with comorbidities.

Introduction: The Central Vein Sign (CVS) has been suggested as a potential biomarker to improve diagnostic specificity in multiple sclerosis (MS). Nevertheless, the impact of comorbidities on CVS performance has been poorly investigated so far. Despite the similar features shared by MS, migraine and Small Vessel Disease (SVD) at T2-weighted conventional MRI sequences, studies demonstrated their heterogeneous histopathological substrates.

Abnormal thalamic functional connectivity correlates with cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity in progressive multiple sclerosis.

Background: Altered thalamic volumes and resting state (RS) functional connectivity (FC) might be associated with physical activity (PA) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in people with progressive multiple sclerosis (PMS).

Objectives: To assess thalamic structural and functional alterations and investigate their correlations with PA/CRF levels in people with PMS.

Methods: Seven-day accelerometry and cardiopulmonary exercise testing were used to assess PA/CRF levels in 91 persons with PMS.

Structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging correlates of fatigue and dual-task performance in progressive multiple sclerosis.

Background: Frontal cortico-subcortical dysfunction may contribute to fatigue and dual-task impairment of walking and cognition in progressive multiple sclerosis (PMS).

Purpose: To explore the associations among fatigue, dual-task performance and structural and functional abnormalities of frontal cortico-subcortical network in PMS.

Methods: Brain 3 T structural and functional MRI sequences, Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS), dual-task motor and cognitive performances were obtained from 57 PMS patients and 10 healthy controls (HC).

Improved detection of multiple sclerosis lesions with T2-prepared double inversion recovery at 3T.

Background And Purpose: Double inversion recovery (DIR) imaging is used in multiple sclerosis (MS) clinical protocols to improve the detection of cortical and juxtacortical gray matter lesions by nulling confounding signals originating from the cerebrospinal fluid and white matter. Achieving a high isotropic spatial resolution, to depict the neocortex and its typically small lesions, is challenged by the reduced signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) determined by multiple tissue signal nulling. Here, we evaluate both conventional and optimized DIR implementations to improve tissue contrast (TC), SNR, and MS lesion conspicuity.

Predictors of Ocrelizumab Effectiveness in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

Data regarding effectiveness and safety of ocrelizumab in the post-marking setting are lacking. The aim of our study was to provide effectiveness and safety data of ocrelizumab treatment in patients with relapsing-remitting (RR-) and progressive multiple sclerosis (PMS) and to evaluate clinical and immunological predictors of early treatment response. In this single-center prospective observational study, we investigated effectiveness outcomes (time-to-confirmed disability worsening, time-to-first relapse, time-to-first evidence of MRI activity and time-to-first evidence of disease activity), clinical and immunological predictors of early treatment response, and incidence of adverse events (AEs).

Relationship Between Retinal Layer Thickness and Disability Worsening in Relapsing-Remitting and Progressive Multiple Sclerosis.

Background: Data regarding the predictive value of optical coherence tomography (OCT)-derived measures are lacking, especially in progressive multiple sclerosis (PMS). Accordingly, we aimed at investigating whether a single OCT assessment can predict a disability risk in both relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and PMS.

Methods: One hundred one patients with RRMS and 79 patients with PMS underwent Spectral-Domain OCT, including intraretinal layer segmentation.

Ultra-high-field 7-T MRI in multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases: from pathology to clinical practice.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is essential for the early diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS), for investigating the disease pathophysiology, and for discriminating MS from other neurological diseases. Ultra-high-field strength (7-T) MRI provides a new tool for studying MS and other demyelinating diseases both in research and in clinical settings. We present an overview of 7-T MRI application in MS focusing on increased sensitivity and specificity for lesion detection and characterisation in the brain and spinal cord, central vein sign identification, and leptomeningeal enhancement detection.

Tailoring B cell depletion therapy in MS according to memory B cell monitoring.

Objective: We wanted to evaluate efficacy on inflammatory parameters of rituximab (RTX)-personalized reinfusion scheme using a memory B cell-based treatment regimen.

Methods: This is a prospective, uncontrolled, open-label study including patients with MS treated with RTX in 2 Italian MS units. All patients were treated with RTX induction, followed by maintenance infusion at the dosage of 375 mg/m, according to memory B cell repopulation (0.

Fingolimod and Dimethyl-Fumarate-Derived Lymphopenia is not Associated with Short-Term Treatment Response and Risk of Infections in a Real-Life MS Population.

Background: The association between treatment-related lymphopenia in multiple sclerosis, drug efficacy and the risk of infections is not yet fully understood.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess whether lymphopenia is associated with short-term treatment response and infection rate in a real-life multiple sclerosis population treated with fingolimod and dimethyl-fumarate. We assessed the associations between baseline absolute lymphocyte count and the lymphocyte mean percentage decrease at 6 and 12 months with treatment response and the occurrence of adverse events over 12 months in the entire cohort of patients and in the two treatment groups separately.

Ecological impact of isolated cognitive relapses in MS.

Isolated cognitive relapses (ICRs) are transient deficits in cognitive performance that are the only presentation of a multiple sclerosis (MS) relapse. Here, we evaluated the impact of ICRs on cognitive difficulties in daily activities (assessed with the Multiple Sclerosis Neuropsychological Screening Questionnaire, Informant Version (MSNQ-I)) to characterize ICRs' clinical relevance. We used 2-year-long retrospective data to compare 15 relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients with ICRs with 57 RRMS patients presenting an asymptomatic gadolinium enhancing lesion (and no-ICRs).