Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Prog Retin Eye Res 2019 Apr 15. Epub 2019 Apr 15.

University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.

Retinal oximetry imaging of retinal blood vessels measures oxygen saturation of hemoglobin. The imaging technology is non-invasive and reproducible with remarkably low variability on test-retest studies and in healthy cohorts. Pathophysiological principles and novel biomarkers in several retinal diseases have been discovered, as well as possible applications for systemic and brain disease. Read More

Neurol Med Chir (Tokyo) 2019 Apr 17. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Department of Neurosurgery, Tokyo Medical and Dental University.

Tumefactive multiple sclerosis (tumefactive MS) is an atypical variant of MS characterized by a large isolated demyelinating lesion. Because tumefactive MS mimics high grade astrocytoma clinically and radiologically, it is difficult to distinguish between the two using only traditional diagnostic modalities, such as routine magnetic resonance imaging. [C] methionine positron emission tomography (MET PET) has been known as a useful diagnostic tool for glioma. Read More

Br J Radiol 2019 Apr 17:20180926. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

7 Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Hannover Medical School , Hannover , Germany.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating and degenerative disease of the central nervous system. It is the most common non-traumatic cause of chronic disability in young adults. An early and accurate diagnosis, and effective disease modifying treatment (DMT) are key elements of optimum care for people with MS (pwMS). Read More

J Neuroimaging 2019 Apr 16. Epub 2019 Apr 16.

Second Department of Neurology, "Attikon" Hospital, School of Medicine , University of Athens, Greece.

Background And Purpose: Vascular aspects like global cerebral hypoperfusion are frequently reported in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Although mechanistic question remains unanswered, this hemodynamic impairment may be caused by a widespread endothelial dysfunction. Furthermore, impaired cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) has been described in patients with MS by means of hypercapnic perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Read More

Obesity (Silver Spring) 2019 Apr 15. Epub 2019 Apr 15.

Department of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Girona Biomedical Research Institute, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Center for Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition, Girona, Spain.

Objective: Obesity has been related to later-life dementia. Serum glucose levels and insulin resistance are known to influence cognition in individuals with diabetes. This study aimed to evaluate memory function in middle-aged individuals with obesity in association with glucose metabolism and brain iron content. Read More

Ochsner J 2019 ;19(1):17-25

Department of Neurology, Ochsner Clinic Foundation, New Orleans, LA.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enhanced with gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) is an essential tool in the diagnosis and management of many neurologic diseases, including multiple sclerosis, brain tumors, and infections. The clinical utility of GBCAs is evidenced by their widespread use. GBCAs are produced in macrocyclic and linear forms. Read More

Mult Scler 2019 Apr 11:1352458519843048. Epub 2019 Apr 11.

Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Background: Activated microglia, which can be detected in vivo by C-PBR28 positron emission tomography (PET), represent a main component of MS pathology in the brain. Their role in the cerebellum is still unexplored, although cerebellar involvement in MS is frequent and accounts for disability progression.

Objectives: We aimed at characterizing cerebellar neuroinflammation in MS patients compared to healthy subjects by combining C-PBR28 MRI-Positron Emission Tomography (MR-PET) with 7 Tesla (T) MRI and assessing its relationship with brain neuroinflammation and clinical outcome measures. Read More

Neurology 2019 Apr 10. Epub 2019 Apr 10.

From the Neurologic Clinic and Policlinic, Departments of Medicine, Clinical Research, and Biomedical Engineering (A. Papadopoulou, L.G., A. Pfister, C.T., M.H., L.K., T.S., S.M.), and Translational Imaging in Neurology (ThINK) Basel, Department of Medicine and Biomedical Engineering (A. Papadopoulou, L.G., A.A., C.T., S.M.), University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Switzerland; NeuroCure Clinical Research Center (NCRC) (A. Papadopoulou, A.U.B.), and Experimental and Clinical Research Center (A. Papadopoulou, A.U.B.), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Germany; Medical Image Analysis Center (MIAC) (L.G., A.A., C.T., S.M.), Basel, Switzerland; Imeka Solutions (F.M.), Sherbrooke, Canada; Department of Neurology (A.U.B.), University of California Irvine; Cerebral Imaging Centre (M.M.C.), Douglas Mental Health University Institute; Departments of Psychiatry and Biomedical Engineering (M.M.C.), McGill University, Montreal; University of Sherbrooke (M.D.), Canada; and Department of Neurology (T.S.), DKD Helios Klinik Wiesbaden, Germany. The present address for L.G. is F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland.

Objective: To study if the thalamic lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) is affected in multiple sclerosis (MS) due to anterograde degeneration from optic neuritis (ON) or retrograde degeneration from optic radiation (OR) pathology, and if this is relevant for visual function.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, LGN volume of 34 patients with relapsing-remitting MS and 33 matched healthy controls (HC) was assessed on MRI using atlas-based automated segmentation (MAGeT). ON history, thickness of the ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GC-IPL), OR lesion volume, and fractional anisotropy (FA) of normal-appearing OR (NAOR-FA) were assessed as measures of afferent visual pathway damage. Read More

Ther Adv Neurol Disord 2019 1;12:1756286419836571. Epub 2019 Apr 1.

Department of Neurology with Institute of Translational Neurology, University of Münster, Building A1, Albert Schweitzer Campus 1, 48149 Münster, Germany.

In recent years, there has been a paradigm shift in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) owing to the approval of a number of new drugs with very distinct mechanisms of action. All approved disease-modifying drugs primarily work directly on the immune system. However, the identification of an 'optimal choice' for individual patients with regard to treatment efficacy, treatment adherence and side-effect profile has become increasingly complex including conceptual as well as practical considerations. Read More

Radiology 2019 Apr 9:190398. Epub 2019 Apr 9.

From the Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy.

Mult Scler 2019 Apr 8:1352458519841810. Epub 2019 Apr 8.

NMR Research Unit, Queen Square Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Department of Neuroinflammation, UCL Institute of Neurology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, UK/National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre, University College London Hospitals (UCLH), London, UK.

Background: In relapse-onset multiple sclerosis (MS), tissue abnormality - as assessed with magnetisation transfer ratio (MTR) imaging - is greater in the outer cortical and inner periventricular layers. The cause of this remains unknown but meningeal inflammation has been implicated, particularly lymphoid follicles, which are seen in secondary progressive (SP) but not primary progressive (PP) MS. Cortical and periventricular MTR gradients might, therefore, differ in PPMS and SPMS if these follicles are responsible. Read More

Magn Reson Med 2019 Apr 8. Epub 2019 Apr 8.

Department of Radiology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio.

Purpose: Noninvasive measurement of mechanical properties of brain tissue using magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) has been a promising method for investigating neurologic disorders such as multiple sclerosis, hydrocephalus, and Alzheimer's. However, because of the regional and directional dependency of brain stiffness, estimating anisotropic stiffness is important. This study investigates isotropic and anisotropic stiffness as a function of age as well as the correlation between isotropic and anisotropic stiffness. Read More

Magn Reson Imaging 2019 Apr 4;60:44-51. Epub 2019 Apr 4.

Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA. Electronic address:

Purpose: To evaluate the quality of brain quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) that is fully automatically reconstructed in clinical MRI of various neurological diseases.

Methods: 393 consecutive patients in one month were recruited for this evaluation study. QSM was reconstructed using Morphology Enabled Dipole Inversion without zero reference regularization (MEDI) and using MEDI with cerebrospinal fluid automatic zero-reference regularization to generate susceptibility values (MEDI+0). Read More

Mult Scler Relat Disord 2019 Apr 2;31:93-96. Epub 2019 Apr 2.

IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico, San Martino, Genova; Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health and CEBR, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; Departments of Neurology, Radiology and Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.

Background: A periventricular gradient of normal appearing white matter (NAWM) damage has been described in multiple sclerosis (MS), including subjects with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS). The pathological mechanisms underlying this gradient is not currently understood.

Methods: 34 CIS subjects were enrolled and underwent cerebrospinal fluid oligo-clonal bands (CSF-OCB) evaluation. Read More

Neuroimage 2019 Apr 3;196:1-15. Epub 2019 Apr 3.

Pattern Analysis and Computer Vision (PAVIS), Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genoa, Italy; NeuroInformatics Laboratory, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy. Electronic address:

In this paper, we present an automated approach for segmenting multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions from multi-modal brain magnetic resonance images. Our method is based on a deep end-to-end 2D convolutional neural network (CNN) for slice-based segmentation of 3D volumetric data. The proposed CNN includes a multi-branch downsampling path, which enables the network to encode information from multiple modalities separately. Read More

Curr Opin Neurol 2019 Apr 3. Epub 2019 Apr 3.

Sydney Neuroimaging Analysis Centre.

Purpose Of Review: Focal white matter lesions are the defining pathological and imaging hallmark of the multiple sclerosis. Until recently, elucidation of the pathophysiology of lesion formation, progression and repair has relied on point neuropathological observations. Here, we review current and emerging concepts of the MRI-defined multiple sclerosis lesion phenotype, advanced longitudinal imaging techniques that permit in-vivo exploration of dynamic microstructural change within lesions and emerging MRI measures of lesion repair. Read More

Curr Opin Neurol 2019 Apr 3. Epub 2019 Apr 3.

IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy.

Purpose Of Review: Recent years have seen the approval of more than 15 disease-modifying drugs for multiple sclerosis (MS), mainly for its relapsing-remitting form (RRMS). The focus of the MS clinical trials is moving toward clinical trials aimed at progressive patients or based on putatively neuroprotective compounds. Here we reviewed the challenges of this paradigm shift. Read More

Front Neurol 2019 20;10:270. Epub 2019 Mar 20.

Department of Pediatrics, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States.

Longitudinally extensive spinal cord lesions (LECL) restricted to gray matter are poorly understood as are their neurodevelopmental repercussions in children. We herein report the critical case of a 13-year-old male presenting with progressive quadriparesis found to have cervical LECL restricted to the anterior horns. Challenged with a rare diagnostic dilemma, the clinical team systematically worked through potential vascular, genetic, infectious, rheumatologic, and paraneoplastic diagnoses before assigning a working diagnosis of acute inflammatory myelopathy. Read More

J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2019 Apr 4. Epub 2019 Apr 4.

Queen Square Multiple Sclerosis Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom.

Objective: Sodium (Na)-MRI is an emerging imaging technique to investigate in vivo changes in tissue viability, reflecting neuroaxonal integrity and metabolism. Using an optimised Na-MRI protocol with smaller voxel sizes and improved tissue contrast, we wanted to investigate whether brain total sodium concentration (TSC) is a biomarker for long-term disease outcomes in a cohort of patients with relapse-onset multiple sclerosis (MS), followed from disease onset.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study in 96 patients followed up ~ 15 years after a clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and 34 healthy controls. Read More

Mult Scler Relat Disord 2019 Mar 28;31:72-73. Epub 2019 Mar 28.

Department of Neurology & Neurotherapeutics, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas TX 75390, United States. Electronic address:

A 17-year-old girl with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) was referred for a 2-year history of visual blurriness. Her bedside examination was remarkable for gait unsteadiness only. Optical coherence tomography was performed as part of her workup. Read More

J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 2019 Apr 3:appineuropsych18070164. Epub 2019 Apr 3.

From the Department of Psychological Sciences, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia (Grech); the Department of Cancer Experiences Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia (Grech); the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Australia (Grech, Hester); the Department of Neurology, Monash Health, Victoria, Australia (Butler); the Department of Imaging, Monash Health, Victoria, Australia (Stuckey); and the Department of Imaging, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash Health, Monash University, Victoria, Australia (Stuckey).

The potential of antidepressant medication to have a neuroprotective effect for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) has received increased interest in recent years. The possibility of antidepressants, particularly fluoxetine, for potential repurposing to treat primary progressive and secondary progressive MS is of interest as a result of the relative lack of disease-modifying medications for these subtypes. A number of animal studies have found positive results for a neuroprotective effect of antidepressant use in MS, with human studies showing mixed results. Read More

Mult Scler 2019 Apr 4:1352458519829698. Epub 2019 Apr 4.

Department of Paediatric Neurology, Children's Hospital Datteln, Witten/Herdecke University, Datteln, Germany.

Background:: Paediatric multiple sclerosis (pedMS) patients at a single site were shown to have reduced brain volumes and failure of age-expected brain growth compared to healthy controls. However, the precise time of onset of brain volume loss remains unclear.

Objective:: To longitudinally study brain volumes in a multi-centre European cohort at first presentation and after 2 years. Read More

Crit Rev Toxicol 2019 Apr 3:1-18. Epub 2019 Apr 3.

c Nehme and Therese Tohme Multiple Sclerosis Center, American University of Beirut Medical Center , Beirut , Lebanon.

Ever since gadolinium was found to deposit in the brain of patients with normal kidney function by Kanda et al. in 2014, several studies have been conducted to evaluate its effect on the patients' health. However, conflicting results were obtained regarding imaging in gadolinium retention. Read More

Front Cell Neurosci 2019 19;13:107. Epub 2019 Mar 19.

Department of Clinical Immunology and IdISSC, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is characterized by arterial and venous thrombosis, pregnancy morbidity and fetal loss caused by pathogenic autoantibodies directed against phospholipids (PL) and PL-cofactors. Isolated neurological APS may represent a significant diagnostic challenge, as epidemiological, clinical and neuroimaging features may overlap with those of multiple sclerosis (MS). In an open view, MS could be considered as an organ-specific anti-lipid (phospholipid and glycosphingolipid associated proteins) disease, in which autoreactive B cells and CD8+ T cells play a dominant role in its pathophysiology. Read More

Neuroimage 2019 Mar 29;195:373-383. Epub 2019 Mar 29.

Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Building 57 of University Dr, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Brisbane, Australia.

Quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) is based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) phase measurements and has gained broad interest because it yields relevant information on biological tissue properties, predominantly myelin, iron and calcium in vivo. Thereby, QSM can also reveal pathological changes of these key components in widespread diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Multiple Sclerosis, or hepatic iron overload. While the ill-posed field-to-source-inversion problem underlying QSM is conventionally assessed by the means of regularization techniques, we trained a fully convolutional deep neural network - DeepQSM - to directly invert the magnetic dipole kernel convolution. Read More

PLoS One 2019 1;14(4):e0210375. Epub 2019 Apr 1.

Department of Neurology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.

Background: Fatigue and depression are frequent and often co-occurring symptoms in multiple sclerosis (MS). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) represents a promising tool for disentangling differential associations between depression and fatigue and brain network function and connectivity. In this study we tested for associations between symptoms of fatigue and depression and DMN connectivity in patients with MS. Read More

Mult Scler Relat Disord 2019 Mar 26;31:62-64. Epub 2019 Mar 26.

Department of Neurology and Clinical Pharmacology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan.

A 20-year-old woman suffered right facial paralysis. The patient showed an abnormality in the perception of speech at an age of 25 years. At an age of 32 years, she developed acute headache and fever. Read More

Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2019 Mar 19;6(3):586-595. Epub 2019 Feb 19.

Center for Movement Studies Kennedy Krieger Institute Baltimore Maryland.

Objective: Vibratory sensation is a quantifiable measure of physical dysfunction and is often related to spinal cord pathology; however, its association with relevant brain areas has not been fully explored. Our objective was to establish a cortical structural substrate for vibration sensation.

Methods: Eighty-four individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) ( = 54 relapsing,  = 30 progressive) and 28 controls participated in vibratory sensation threshold quantification at the great toe and a 3T MRI evaluating volume of the thalamus and cortical thickness primary and secondary sensory cortices. Read More

Mult Scler 2019 Mar 25:1352458519837706. Epub 2019 Mar 25.

Department of Medicine and Radiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia/Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia.

Background:: Tremor is present in almost half of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The lack of understanding of its pathophysiology is hampering progress in development of treatments.

Objectives:: To clarify the structural and functional brain changes associated with the clinical phenotype of upper limb tremor in people with MS. Read More

Mult Scler 2019 Mar 25:1352458519833018. Epub 2019 Mar 25.

Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), Nashville, TN, USA/ Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.

Background:: Assessing the degree of myelin injury in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is challenging due to the lack of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods specific to myelin quantity. By measuring distinct tissue parameters from a two-pool model of the magnetization transfer (MT) effect, quantitative magnetization transfer (qMT) may yield these indices. However, due to long scan times, qMT has not been translated clinically. Read More

EBioMedicine 2019 Mar 21. Epub 2019 Mar 21.

Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, UK; NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University of Cambridge, UK. Electronic address:

Background: Neural stem cell (NSC)-based therapies hold great promise for treating diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). However, several fundamental problems still need to be overcome to fully exploit the clinical potential of NSC therapeutics. Chief among them is the limited survival of NSC grafts within hostile microenvironments. Read More

J Neurol Sci 2019 Mar 14;400:52-71. Epub 2019 Mar 14.

School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Kookaburra Circuit, New Lambton Heights, NSW 2305, Australia. Electronic address:

Background: Fatigue is a common and debilitating symptom in multiple sclerosis (MS). Over the past decade, a growing body of research has focussed on the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying central (cognitive and physical) fatigue in MS. The precise mechanisms causing fatigue in MS patients are complex and poorly understood, and may differ between patients. Read More

Mult Scler Relat Disord 2019 Mar 12;31:22-31. Epub 2019 Mar 12.

Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan. Electronic address:

Background: Hereditary diffuse leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids (HDLS) is a rare autosomal-dominant white matter disease, typically characterized by juvenile cognitive decline and frontoparietal white matter lesions. A portion of HDLS patients exhibit preferential motor dysfunctions as their initial symptoms, mimicking multiple sclerosis (MS). However, there is no study comparing this phenotype of HDLS and primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), which greatly resemble each other. Read More

Mult Scler 2019 Mar 21:1352458519838205. Epub 2019 Mar 21.

Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria/Neuroimaging Research Core Facility, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.

Background:: Impairment of odor discrimination (D), identification (I), and threshold (T) are characteristic features of multiple sclerosis (MS).

Objective:: To identify patterns of gray matter concentration (GMC) associated with different qualities of olfactory function.

Methods:: Olfactory function (T and combined DI score) was measured by Sniffin' Sticks-Test over 2 years longitudinally, and T1-weighted 3-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed in 37 MS patients and 18 matched healthy controls (HCs). Read More

Neuroimage 2019 Mar 17;194:272-282. Epub 2019 Mar 17.

Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; Medical Imaging, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA. Electronic address:

The thalamus and its nuclei are largely indistinguishable on standard T1 or T2 weighted MRI. While diffusion tensor imaging based methods have been proposed to segment the thalamic nuclei based on the angular orientation of the principal diffusion tensor, these are based on echo planar imaging which is inherently limited in spatial resolution and suffers from distortion. We present a multi-atlas segmentation technique based on white-matter-nulled MP-RAGE imaging that segments the thalamus into 12 nuclei with computation times on the order of 10 min on a desktop PC; we call this method THOMAS (THalamus Optimized Multi Atlas Segmentation). Read More

Biomedicines 2019 Mar 19;7(1). Epub 2019 Mar 19.

Neurology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Neurology, Hospital Dr. Sótero del Río, Santiago 8320000, Chile.

Cognitive impairment affects 40⁻60% of patients with multiple sclerosis. It may be present early in the course of the disease and has an impact on a patient's employability, social interactions, and quality of life. In the last three decades, an increasing interest in diagnosis and management of cognitive impairment has arisen. Read More

J Neuroimaging 2019 Mar 20. Epub 2019 Mar 20.

 Translational Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY.

Background And Purpose: Deep gray matter (DGM) atrophy has been shown at early stages of multiple sclerosis (MS) and reported as an informative marker of cognitive dysfunction and clinical progression. Therefore, accurate measurement of DGM structure volume is a key priority in MS research. Findings from prior studies have shown that hypointense T1 lesions may impact the accuracy of global brain volume measures; however, literature on the effects of hypointense T1 lesions on DGM structure volumes is sparse. Read More

Hum Brain Mapp 2019 Mar 19. Epub 2019 Mar 19.

Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, UK.

Quantifying white matter damage in vivo is becoming increasingly important for investigating the effects of neuroprotective and repair strategies in multiple sclerosis (MS). While various approaches are available, the relationship between MRI-based metrics of white matter microstructure in the disease, that is, to what extent the metrics provide complementary versus redundant information, remains largely unexplored. We obtained four microstructural metrics from 123 MS patients: fractional anisotropy (FA), radial diffusivity (RD), myelin water fraction (MWF), and magnetisation transfer ratio (MTR). Read More

Epilepsia 2019 Apr 19;60(4):593-604. Epub 2019 Mar 19.

Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Lab, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Epilepsy is among the most common chronic neurologic disorders, with 30%-40% of patients having seizures despite antiepileptic drug treatment. The advent of brain imaging and network analyses has greatly improved the understanding of this condition. In particular, developments in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have provided measures for the noninvasive characterization and detection of lesions causing epilepsy. Read More

Mult Scler 2019 Mar 19:1352458519837704. Epub 2019 Mar 19.

Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy/Department of Neurology, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.

Background:: The features of functional network connectivity reorganization at the earliest stages of MS have not been investigated yet.

Objective:: To combine static and dynamic analysis of resting state (RS) functional connectivity (FC) to identify mechanisms of clinical dysfunction and recovery occurring in clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) patients.

Methods:: RS functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and clinical data were prospectively acquired from 50 CIS patients and 13 healthy controls (HC) at baseline, month 12 and month 24. Read More

Mult Scler 2019 Mar 19:1352458519837707. Epub 2019 Mar 19.

Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy/Department of Neurology, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.

Background:: In multiple sclerosis (MS), abnormalities of brain network dynamics and their relevance for cognitive impairment have never been investigated.

Objectives:: The aim of this study was to assess the dynamic resting state (RS) functional connectivity (FC) on 62 relapsing-remitting MS patients and 65 sex-matched healthy controls enrolled at 7 European sites.

Methods:: MS patients underwent clinical and cognitive evaluation. Read More

Iran J Neurol 2018 Jul;17(3):105-110

Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common neuroinflammatory disease in young adults. Anxiety and depression may predispose individuals to MS and flare-ups. Serotonin transmission is modified in some brain regions of patients with MS, and these changes may contribute to their psychiatric abnormalities. Read More

Am J Case Rep 2019 Mar 19;20:361-365. Epub 2019 Mar 19.

Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Science Center at the Permian Basin, Odessa, TX, USA.

BACKGROUND Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is a demyelinating disease that usually presents in pediatric patients, usually following a viral or bacterial infection. The clinical findings in ADEM include acute neurologic decline that typically presents with encephalopathy, with some cases progressing to multiple sclerosis. An atypical case of ADEM is reported that presented in a middle-aged adult. Read More

Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm 2019 May 7;6(3):e541. Epub 2019 Mar 7.

Neurologic Clinic and Policlinic (B.P., T.J.D., T.S.), Departments of Medicine, Clinical Research and Biomedical Engineering, University Hospital and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; NeuroCure Clinical Research Center (N.B., L.R., J.B.-S., F.P., T.S.), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health; Department of Neurology (N.B., J.B.-S., K.R., F.P.), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health; Experimental and Clinical Research Center (F.P.), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine; Clinical and Experimental Multiple Sclerosis Research Center (K.R., F.P.), Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health; Berlin Ultrahigh Field Facility (T.N.), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Germany; Medical Image Analysis Center AG (J.W., T.S.); and qbig (J.W.), Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.

Objective: To investigate and compare occult damages in aquaporin-4 (AQP4)-rich periependymal regions in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) vs healthy controls (HCs) and patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) applying quantitative T1 mapping at 7 Tesla (T) in a cross-sectional study.

Methods: Eleven patients with NMOSD (median Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] score 3.5, disease duration 9. Read More

Front Pharmacol 2019 28;10:147. Epub 2019 Feb 28.

Platform of Research and Analysis in Sciences and Environment (PRASE), Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon.

Metabolic disturbances have been implicated in demyelinating diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS). Melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone, has emerged as a potent neuroprotective candidate to reduce myelin loss and improve MS outcomes. In this study, we evaluated the effect of melatonin, at both physiological and pharmacological doses, on oligodendrocytes metabolism in an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mouse model of MS. Read More

Front Neurosci 2019 28;13:135. Epub 2019 Feb 28.

Laboratoire d'Imagerie Biomédicale, INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a relentlessly progressive neurodegenerative condition with limited therapeutic options at present. Survival from symptom onset ranges from 3 to 5 years depending on genetic, demographic, and phenotypic factors. Despite tireless research efforts, the core etiology of the disease remains elusive and drug development efforts are confounded by the lack of accurate monitoring markers. Read More

AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2019 Apr 14;40(4):620-625. Epub 2019 Mar 14.

From the Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center (N.B., D.R., E.T., R.Z.).

Background And Purpose: Leptomeningeal inflammation is associated with the development of global cortical gray matter atrophy in multiple sclerosis. However, its association with localized loss of tissue remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between leptomeningeal contrast enhancement, a putative marker of leptomeningeal inflammation, and focal cortical thinning in MS. Read More

Trials 2019 Mar 14;20(1):164. Epub 2019 Mar 14.

Department of Neurology, Universitair Ziekenhuis (UZ) Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.

Background: Axonal degeneration is related to long-term disability in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The underlying mechanism remains ill understood but appears to involve axonal energetic dysfunction. A globally impaired cerebral blood flow (CBF) has been observed in the normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) of patients with MS, which is probably related to astrocytic overexpression of endothelin-1 (ET-1). Read More

J Clin Med 2019 Mar 12;8(3). Epub 2019 Mar 12.

Jacobs Multiple Sclerosis Center, Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.

Pathologic changes in cortical gray matter (GM) and leptomeninges contribute to disability worsening in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), but there is little evidence whether disease-modifying treatments can slow down cortical pathology in MS. To investigate the effect of teriflunomide (TFM) and dimethyl fumarate (DMF) in reducing cortical pathology, as determined by percentage cortical volume change (PCVC) and leptomeningeal contrast enhancement (LMCE) on MRI. This was a retrospective, single-center, observational study that selected 60 TFM- and 60 DMF-treated MS patients over 24 months. Read More

Neurol Sci 2019 Mar 13. Epub 2019 Mar 13.

Image Analysis Laboratory, Departments of Radiology and Research Administration, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI, USA.

Background: Medial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE) has been associated with widespread white mater (WM) alternations in addition to mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS). Herein, we aimed to investigate the correlation between disease duration and WM structural abnormalities in mTLE using diffusion MRI (DMRI) connectometry approach.

Method: DMRI connectometry was conducted on 24 patients with mTLE. Read More