Publications by authors named "Oertel F"

Background: Hyperreflective retinal foci (HRF) visualized by optical coherence tomography (OCT) potentially represent clusters of microglia. We compared HRF frequencies and their association with retinal neurodegeneration between people with clinically isolated syndrome (pwCIS), multiple sclerosis (pwMS), aquaporin 4-IgG positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (pwNMOSD), and healthy controls (HC)-as well as between eyes with (ONeyes) and without a history of optic neuritis (ONeyes).

Methods: Cross-sectional data of pwCIS, pwMS, and pwNMOSD with previous ON and HC were acquired at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin.

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Objective: In this multicentric study, we were interested in the vision-related quality of life and its association with visual impairment in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) in comparison to multiple sclerosis (MS) and healthy controls.

Methods: We analysed extracted data from the German NEMOS registry including National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ) scores, high and low contrast visual acuity (HCVA, LCVA), visually evoked potentials (VEP) and the scores for the expanded disability status scale (EDSS) and other neurological tests which assessed their disease-related impairment. The mean follow-up time of our patients was 1.

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Article Synopsis
  • Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) is a cutting-edge imaging tool used to visualize and analyze the blood vessels in the retina by mapping the capillary network and identifying different retinal layers.
  • * Initial research indicates that OCT-A can reveal vascular changes in neurological diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) and related conditions such as MOGAD and NMOSD.
  • * The review covers the clinical and technical details of OCT-A while addressing its potential in MS research and the challenges that must be addressed for broader clinical use.
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  • Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is an inflammatory CNS disease linked to aquaporin 4 (AQP4) autoantibodies, causing symptoms like optic neuritis and myelitis.
  • Some individuals show symptoms of NMOSD but lack AQP4-IgG, now categorized under MOG antibody-associated disease (MOGAD), which has different characteristics.
  • The article reviews the evolution of NMOSD and MOGAD, covering epidemiology, clinical features, imaging, and potential therapies for NMOSD that may benefit MOGAD patients.
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Background: Optic neuritis (ON) is a common manifestation of multiple sclerosis (MS) and myelin-oligodendrocyte-glycoprotein IgG-associated disease (MOGAD). This study evaluated the applicability of optical coherence tomography (OCT) for differentiating between both diseases in two independent cohorts.

Methods: One hundred sixty two patients from seven sites underwent standard OCT and high-contrast visual acuity (HCVA) testing at least 6 months after first ON.

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Article Synopsis
  • The 2022 International Consortium for Optic Neuritis introduced new diagnostic criteria using optical coherence tomography (OCT) to better assess optic neuritis, with a particular focus on intereye difference metrics in patients with MOG-associated optic neuritis (MOG-ON).
  • A multi-center study validated the diagnostic value of pre-established intereye difference cutoff values in 66 subjects, finding that metrics from the macular ganglion cell and inner plexiform layer (mGCIP) were most sensitive and specific for diagnosing MOG-ON.
  • Results indicated that OCT-based intereye difference metrics had high diagnostic accuracy for MOG-ON, especially in cases of unilateral optic neuritis, suggesting these metrics could effectively distinguish affected individuals
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  • The study applied the 2022 international consensus criteria for optic neuritis (ICON) to 160 patients with acute optic neuritis to assess its effectiveness in classification.
  • About 50% of the patients were classified as definite optic neuritis, while 43% were not classified as having ON, mainly due to the absence of critical symptoms like relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD) and dyschromatopsia.
  • The adjusted criteria led to a higher classification of 79% of patients as having optic neuritis, highlighting the importance of thorough examinations for accurate diagnosis.*
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  • This study investigates how comorbidities, especially vascular ones, affect patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), and MOG-antibody-associated disease (MOGAD), potentially worsening their neurological condition.* -
  • The proposed study, called COMMIT, will involve a diverse group of patients and will analyze various biological markers related to inflammation and neurodegeneration using advanced technologies and data analysis methods.* -
  • The ultimate aim is to understand the influence of comorbidities on the clinical outcomes of these CNS diseases, potentially leading to better treatment strategies for improving patient health and quality of life.*
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  • The study aimed to describe the clinical features of double-antibody seronegative neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (DN-NMOSD), focusing on how these disorders affect the retina.
  • Researchers analyzed data from 25 individuals with DN-NMOSD and compared it to those with aquaporin-4 antibody positive neuromyelitis optica (AQP4-NMOSD) and healthy controls, using optical coherence tomography (OCT) to assess retinal damage.
  • The findings revealed significant thinning of the retinal nerve fiber layer and ganglion cell layers in DN-NMOSD patients, even after just one optic neuritis episode, indicating severe retinal damage and neurodegeneration regardless of an ON history.
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  • Retinal optical coherence tomography (OCT) serves as a biomarker for tracking disease progression in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), although the changes in retinal layers for progressive MS remain uncertain.
  • Analyzing data from 195 RRMS, 87 secondary progressive MS (SPMS), 125 primary progressive MS (PPMS), and 98 control patients, researchers found that certain retinal layer thicknesses could predict relapses and MRI activity in various MS types.
  • However, the variability in measuring retinal thickness limits the effectiveness of longitudinal assessments for individual patients.
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Mutations in progranulin ( ) cause frontotemporal dementia ( -FTD) due to deficiency of the pleiotropic protein progranulin. -FTD exhibits diverse pathologies including lysosome dysfunction, lipofuscinosis, microgliosis, and neuroinflammation. Yet, how progranulin loss causes disease remains unresolved.

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While neurodegeneration underlies the pathological basis for permanent disability in multiple sclerosis (MS), predictive biomarkers for progression are lacking. Using an animal model of chronic MS, we find that synaptic injury precedes neuronal loss and identify thinning of the inner plexiform layer (IPL) as an early feature of inflammatory demyelination-prior to symptom onset. As neuronal domains are anatomically segregated in the retina and can be monitored longitudinally, we hypothesize that thinning of the IPL could represent a biomarker for progression in MS.

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The first formal consensus diagnostic criteria for myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) were recently proposed. Yet, the distinction of MOGAD-defining characteristics from characteristics of its important differential diagnoses such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and aquaporin-4 antibody seropositive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is still obstructed. In preclinical research, MOG antibody-based animal models were used for decades to derive knowledge about MS.

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Importance: Mechanisms contributing to disability accumulation in multiple sclerosis (MS) are poorly understood. Blood neurofilament light chain (NfL) level, a marker of neuroaxonal injury, correlates robustly with disease activity in people with MS (MS); however, data on the association between NfL level and disability accumulation have been conflicting.

Objective: To determine whether and when NfL levels are elevated in the context of confirmed disability worsening (CDW).

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Background And Objectives: Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is a noninvasive high-resolution imaging technique for assessing the retinal vasculature and is increasingly used in various ophthalmologic, neuro-ophthalmologic, and neurologic diseases. To date, there are no validated consensus criteria for quality control (QC) of OCTA. Our study aimed to develop criteria for OCTA quality assessment.

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Background And Objectives: With the increasing use of visually evoked potentials (VEPs) as quantitative outcome parameters for myelin in clinical trials, an in-depth understanding of longitudinal VEP latency changes and their prognostic potential for subsequent neuronal loss will be required. In this longitudinal multicenter study, we evaluated the association and prognostic potential of VEP latency for retinal neurodegeneration, measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT), in relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS).

Methods: We included 293 eyes of 147 patients with RRMS (age [years, median ± SD] 36 ± 10, male sex 35%, F/U [years, median {IQR} 2.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the effectiveness of intereye differences (IED) in optical coherence tomography (OCT) parameters to diagnose optic neuritis (ON) in patients with aquaporin-4 antibody seropositive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (AQP4+NMOSD).
  • It compares OCT data from AQP4+NMOSD patients who had unilateral ON more than six months prior with healthy controls and other AQP4+NMOSD patients without ON, measuring both absolute and percentage differences in retinal thickness.
  • The findings show high accuracy for using IED metrics in diagnosing ON in AQP4+NMOSD, indicating that these OCT parameters could improve diagnostic criteria for this condition.
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Optic neuritis (ON) in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) regularly leads to more profound vision loss compared to multiple sclerosis (MS) and myelin-oligodendrocyte-glycoprotein-antibody associated disease (MOGAD). Here we investigate ON-related vision loss in NMOSD compared to MS and MOGAD in order to identify neuroaxonal and retinal contributors to visual dysfunction. In this retrospective study we included patients with aquaporin-4-antibody seropositive NMOSD (n = 28), MOGAD (n = 14), MS (n = 29) and controls (n = 14).

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Background: Aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin-G positive (AQP4-IgG) neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is an autoimmune astrocytopathy associated with optic neuritis (ON). Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) is an oligodendrocytopathy with a similar phenotype. Serum glial fibrillary acidic protein (sGFAP), an astrocyte-derived protein, is associated with disease severity in AQP4-IgG NMOSD.

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Background And Objectives: The timing of neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS) remains unclear. It is critical to understand the dynamics of neuroaxonal loss if we hope to prevent or forestall permanent disability in MS. We therefore used a deeply phenotyped longitudinal cohort to assess and compare rates of neurodegeneration in retina and brain throughout the MS disease course.

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Introduction: Development of novel diagnostic tools is a top research priority in vascular dementia. A major obstacle is the lack of a simple, non-invasive method to visualize cerebral arteriolar walls in vivo. Retinal arterioles offer a window into the cerebral circulation.

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Background: Chronic demyelination is a major contributor to axonal vulnerability in multiple sclerosis (MS). Therefore, remyelination could provide a potent neuroprotective strategy. The ReBUILD trial was the first study showing evidence for successful remyelination following treatment with clemastine in people with MS (pwMS) with no evidence of disease activity or progression (NEDAP).

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