Lesion Load and Location in Relation to Cognition, Fatigue and Physical Disability in RRMS

Assiut University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

Treatments: Diagnostic Test: VolBrain, a fully automated platform to generate the volumetric data (lesion count, volume and location as well as different atrophy measures); Other: Brief International Cognitive Assessment for Multiple Sclerosis (BICAMS)

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05604092

lesion load and distribution

Details and patient eligibility

About

In relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) the relationship between cognitive impairment (CI), fatigue and physical disability with white matter lesion load (WM-LL), location among other volumetric measures using automated platforms is still unclear.

Full description

Cognitive impairment (CI) and fatigue have been recognized as an important feature of MS, affecting up to 70% patients (1), evident since onset and increase in both prevalence and severity as the disease progresses (2). In fact, their effects on patients and even their caregivers are more pronounced than clinical disability, causing unemployment, treatment non-adherence, personality changes as well as several psychosocial dysfunctions (3-5). Therefore, beside evaluating the physical disability, it is essential for health professionals to objectively evaluate either the cognitive function or fatigue at both baseline and during routine follow up visits for early detection and management (6). Through the advances in MRI techniques and availability of a number of automated software, quantitative radiological assessments became more readily available and feasible in daily practice (7) allowing objective longitudinal monitoring of patients (8,9). Although burden and location of lesions in RRMS is thought to be associated with cognitive impairment (CI), fatigue and physical disability, some controversy results were obtained from previous studies. So, by conducting this study, we aimed at exploring the relationship between different parameters of lesion load and location with fatigue, cognitive and physical disability in RRMS patients.

Enrollment: 63 patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• : adult patients of both sexes diagnosed with RRMS according to 2017 McDonald diagnostic criteria

Exclusion criteria

• Patients with relapse or steroid administration in the past 30 days were excluded. Patients who have any medical conditions that may affect cognition, and those on psychoactive pharmacotherapy were also excluded.