Disutility of Cognitive Processing Speed (CPS) Impairment in the Context of Multiple Sclerosis: A Time Trade-Off (TTO) Elicitation Study.

Introduction: Cognitive impairment, especially relating to cognitive processing speed, is a major cause of disability in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Utility values are quantitative estimates of the quality of life experienced in specific health states and are a key component of cost-effectiveness modelling. However, existing health state utility values in MS typically focus on physical ability and are generally derived using generic (not disease-specific) measures of quality of life.

Sample Entropy Improves Assessment of Postural Control in Early-Stage Multiple Sclerosis.

Postural impairment in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) is an early indicator of disease progression. Common measures of disease assessment are not sensitive to early-stage MS. Sample entropy (SE) may better identify early impairments.

Instability of excitatory synapses in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and the outcome for excitatory circuit inputs to individual cortical neurons.

Synapses are lost on a massive scale in the brain and spinal cord of people living with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), and this synaptic loss extends far beyond demyelinating lesions. Post-mortem studies show the long-term consequences of multiple sclerosis (MS) on synapses but do not inform on the early impacts of neuroinflammation on synapses that subsequently lead to synapse loss. How excitatory circuit inputs are altered across the dendritic tree of individual neurons under neuroinflammatory stress is not well understood.

7 T Lesion-Attenuated Magnetization-Prepared Gradient Echo Acquisition for Detection of Posterior Fossa Demyelinating Lesions in Multiple Sclerosis.

Objectives: Detection of infratentorial demyelinating lesions in multiple sclerosis (MS) presents a challenge in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a difficulty that is further heightened in 7 T MRI. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a novel MRI approach, lesion-attenuated magnetization-prepared gradient echo acquisition (LAMA), for detecting demyelinating lesions within the posterior fossa and upper cervical spine on 7 T MRI and contrast its performance with conventional double-inversion recovery (DIR) and T2-weighted turbo spin echo sequences.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study in 42 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of MS.

Idiopathic Hypertrophic Spinal Pachymeningitis.

Hypertrophic pachymeningitis (HP) is a rare presentation with duramater thickening and fibrosis which can result in cranial or spinal compressive disease. Most cases of spinal HP require surgical management. We present an uncommon case of idiopathic hypertrophic spinal pachymeningitis (IHSP) in a 40-year-old male who showed complete improvement to steroids without any further relapses.

Epidural Spinal Cord Stimulation for Spasticity: a Systematic Review of the Literature.

Objective: Spasticity is a form of muscle hypertonia secondary to various diseases, including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, and multiple sclerosis. Medical treatments are available; however, these often result in insufficient clinical response. This review evaluates the role of epidural spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in the treatment of spasticity and associated functional outcomes.

Central intra-lesional iron deposits as a possible novel imaging marker at 7 Tesla MRI in Susac Syndrome - an exploratory study.

Background: Susac syndrome (SuS) is a rare autoimmune disease that leads to hearing impairment, visual field deficits, and encephalopathy due to an occlusion of precapillary arterioles in the brain, retina, and inner ear. Given the potentially disastrous outcome and difficulties in distinguishing SuS from its differential diagnoses, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), our exploratory study aimed at identifying potential new SuS-specific neuroimaging markers.

Methods: Seven patients with a definite diagnosis of SuS underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 7 Tesla (7T), including T2* weighted and quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) sequences.

Prevalence, Demographic, and Clinical Factors Associated With Cognitive Dysfunction in Patients With Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder.

Background And Objectives: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a chronic CNS demyelinating autoimmune disorder targeting the astrocyte antigen aquaporin-4 (AQP4), typically presenting with optic neuritis, transverse myelitis, and brain syndromes. Cognitive dysfunction (CD) in NMOSD is under-recognized and poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and clinical variables associated with CD in NMOSD.

Foraminal stenosis and radiculopathy secondary to tophaceous gout: illustrative case.

Background: Tophaceous gout is a severe form of gout that results in the formation of large nodules, or tophi, in the affected joints and surrounding tissues. Gouty tophi in the spine have a constellation of presentations that often mimic other pathologies and may not be easily discernable from more common pathologic processes.

Observations: A 47-year-old female with a history of chronic renal disease, obesity, gout, inflammatory polyarthritis, and multiple sclerosis presented with 6 months of low-back pain and lumbar radiculopathy affecting the right lower extremity.

Lumbar Pain in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis and Knowledge about Physiotherapeutic Methods for Combating Pain.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the intensity and frequency of low back pain (LBP) in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) and patients' knowledge of physiotherapeutic methods for combating LBP.

Methods: This study included all MS patients attending consecutive follow-up visits for treatment related to MS between March and May 2023. Only current pain sensations in the lumbar spine were taken into account.

Medication and bone health in multiple sclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are often prescribed medications associated with adverse effects on bone health. However, it is unclear whether these medications incur decreases in areal bone mineral density (aBMD) and higher fracture risk in this population.

Objective: To investigate the effects of commonly used medications on aBMD and fracture risk among people with MS.

Cervical Radiculopathy Presenting as Ischemic Stroke After Carotid Artery Stent Placement.

Abrupt loss of focal brain function is the main characteristic of the beginning of ischemic stroke. However, individuals with disorders other than stroke can also present with similar features. These conditions include seizure disorders, migraine, central nervous system abscess or tumor, head trauma, subdural hematoma, cerebral venous thrombosis, viral encephalitis, conversion reaction, hypertensive encephalopathy, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord disorder.

Paramagnetic rim lesions and the central vein sign: Characterizing multiple sclerosis imaging markers.

Background And Purpose: Paramagnetic rims and the central vein sign (CVS) are proposed imaging markers of multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions. Using 7 tesla magnetic resonance imaging, we aimed to: (1) characterize the appearance of paramagnetic rim lesions (PRLs); (2) assess whether PRLs and the CVS are associated with higher levels of MS pathology; and (3) compare the characteristics between subjects with and without PRLs in early MS.

Methods: Prospective study of 32 treatment-naïve subjects around the time of diagnosis who were assessed for the presence of PRLs and the CVS.

Treatment of Spinal Aneurysmal Bone Cyst with Percutaneous Injection of Hydroxyapatite Osteoconductive Cement.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate treatment efficacy of percutaneous injection of hydroxyapatite-osteoconductive-cement in patients with spinal aneurysmal bone cysts.

Materials And Methods: The study was designed as a retrospective observational clinical study. We included patients who were diagnosed with of spinal aneurysmal bone cyst, at our institution between 2013 and 2020, and treated with percutaneous injection of osteoconductive cement: "Cerament" (BONESUPPORT AB, Lund, Sweden).

Cerebrospinal fluid neurofilament light chains predicts early disease-activity in Multiple Sclerosis.

Background: Among biomarkers of axonal damage, neurofilament light chains (NFL) seem to play a major role, representing a promising and interesting tool in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Our aim was to explore the predictive role of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) NFL in patients with a recent diagnosis of MS, naïve to any MS therapy.

Methods: We retrospectively collected data of patients diagnosed with MS, referred to the Neurology Clinic of the University-Hospital G.

Pre-existing neurological conditions and COVID-19 co-infection: Data from systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and scoping reviews.

Background: Pre-existing neurological diseases have been identified as risk factors for severe COVID-19 infection and death. There is a lack of comprehensive literature review assessing the relationship between pre-existing neurological conditions and COVID-19 outcomes. Identification of high risk groups is critical for optimal treatment and care.

The Journey of Data Within a Global Data Sharing Initiative: A Federated 3-Layer Data Analysis Pipeline to Scale Up Multiple Sclerosis Research.

Background: Investigating low-prevalence diseases such as multiple sclerosis is challenging because of the rather small number of individuals affected by this disease and the scattering of real-world data across numerous data sources. These obstacles impair data integration, standardization, and analysis, which negatively impact the generation of significant meaningful clinical evidence.

Objective: This study aims to present a comprehensive, research question-agnostic, multistakeholder-driven end-to-end data analysis pipeline that accommodates 3 prevalent data-sharing streams: individual data sharing, core data set sharing, and federated model sharing.

Microstructural changes of peripheral nerves in early multiple sclerosis: A prospective magnetic resonance neurography study.

Background And Purpose: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system (CNS). However, there is increasing evidence of peripheral nerve involvement. This study aims to characterize the pattern of peripheral nerve changes in patients with newly diagnosed MS using quantitative magnetic resonance (MR) neurography.

Cortical lesions uniquely predict motor disability accrual and form rarely in the absence of new white matter lesions in multiple sclerosis.

Background And Objectives: Cortical lesions (CL) are common in multiple sclerosis (MS) and associate with disability and progressive disease. We asked whether CL continue to form in people with stable white matter lesions (WML) and whether the association of CL with worsening disability relates to pre-existing or new CL.

Methods: A cohort of adults with MS were evaluated annually with 7 tesla (T) brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 3T brain and spine MRI for 2 years, and clinical assessments for 3 years.

Circulating microRNAs correlate with structural and functional MRI parameters in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Introduction: Circulating microRNAs are promising biomarkers for multiple sclerosis (MS). Our aim was to correlate serum microRNA levels with various magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters.

Methods: We recruited 50 MS patients and measured cervical spine and cerebral white matter lesions together with regional brain volumes.

Proteomic interrogation of the meninges reveals the molecular identities of structural components and regional distinctions along the CNS axis.

The meninges surround the brain and spinal cord, affording physical protection while also serving as a niche of neuroimmune activity. Though possessing stromal qualities, its complex cellular and extracellular makeup has yet to be elaborated, and it remains unclear whether the meninges vary along the neuroaxis. Hence, studies were carried-out to elucidate the protein composition and structural organization of brain and spinal cord meninges in normal, adult Biozzi ABH mice.

Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Familial and Sporadic Multiple Sclerosis Patients.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, inflammatory, demyelinating, immune-mediated disease of the central nervous system. It is still unestablished whether heredity correlates with the disease's progression and severity.

Methods: This study includes the patients with MS seen in the MS clinic of Kashani Hospital, affiliated with Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, from January 2019 to January 2020.

The effect of disease modifying therapies on fatigue in multiple sclerosis.

Introduction: Fatigue is one of the most common and debilitating symptoms in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) are currently the gold standard in the treatment of MS and their effectiveness has been assessed through randomized clinical trials (RCTs). However, there is limited evidence on the impact of DMTs on fatigue in (PwMS).