Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Acta Ophthalmol 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Clinical Research Department, Fondation Ophtalmologique Adolphe de Rothschild, Paris, France.

Background: Acute optic neuritis (AON) is a common optic nerve disease leading to retrograde degeneration of optic nerve axons, reflected by thinning of the inner retinal layers on optical coherence tomography. On the contrary, acute macular neuroretinopathy (AMN) type 2 is a rare outer retinal disorder that leads to thinning of the outer nuclear layers and is diagnosed by multimodal imaging. The aim of this study was to report a new association between these two diseases. Read More

J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Academic Unit of Neurology, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

Advanced neuroimaging has increased understanding of the pathogenesis and spread of disease, and offered new therapeutic targets. MRI and positron emission tomography have shown that neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Lewy body dementia (LBD), Parkinson's disease (PD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and multiple sclerosis (MS) are associated with changes in brain networks. However, the underlying neurophysiological pathways driving pathological processes are poorly defined. Read More

Brain 2019 Feb 12. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Neuroimmunology Unit, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, 3801 University Street, Suite # 111, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Elucidation of distinct T-cell subsets involved in multiple sclerosis immune-pathophysiology continues to be of considerable interest since an ultimate goal is to more selectively target the aberrant immune response operating in individual patients. While abnormalities of both effector (Teff) and regulatory (Treg) T cells have been reported in patients with multiple sclerosis, prior studies have mostly assessed average abnormalities in either limb of the immune response, rather than both at the same time, which limits the ability to evaluate the balance between effectors and regulators operating in the same patient. Assessing both phenotypic and functional responses of Teffs and Tregs has also proven important. Read More

J Neurol 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Department of Neurology, Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, 100 High Street, Buffalo, NY, 142013, USA.

Background: Evidence regarding the role, if any, of dietary and lifestyle factors in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) is poorly understood.

Objective: To assess the effect of lifestyle-based risk factors linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) on clinical and MRI-derived MS outcomes.

Methods: The study enrolled 175 MS or clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) patients and 42 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) who were longitudinally followed for 5. Read More

BMC Neurol 2019 Feb 12;19(1):23. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Background: Serum hematological indices such as the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) or monocyte-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) have been used as biomarkers of pathogenic inflammation and prognostication in multiple areas of medicine; recent evidence shows correlation with psychological parameters as well.

Objectives/aims: To characterize clinical, neuroimaging, and psycho-neuro-immunological associations with NLR and MLR in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods: We identified a large cohort of clinically well-defined patients from our longitudinal database that included MS-related outcomes, disease-modifying therapy, patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures, and quantified cerebral MRI at 1. Read More

Mult Scler 2019 Feb 13:1352458519828667. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA/ Center for Biomedical Imaging, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA.

Background:: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection has been associated with higher clinical activity and risk of multiple sclerosis (MS).

Objective:: To evaluate associations between EBV-specific humoral response and magnetization transfer ratio (MTR)-derived measure in MS patients and healthy controls (HCs).

Methods:: The study included 101 MS patients (69 relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and 32 secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS)) and 41 HCs who underwent clinical, serological, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) investigations. Read More

J Comp Eff Res 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Providence Multiple Sclerosis Center, Providence St Joseph Health, Portland, OR, USA.

Aim: Head-to-head clinical trials of teriflunomide (TFM) versus dimethyl fumarate (DMF) have not been conducted.

Objectives: To compare the real-world effectiveness of TFM versus DMF.

Methods: Anonymized data were collected from patients with relapsing MS initiating treatment with teriflunomide (N = 50) or DMF (N = 50). Read More

J Neuroimaging 2019 Feb 12. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

 Departments of Neurology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX.

Background And Purpose: There is evidence of a relationship between promyelinating proteins and clinical multiple sclerosis (MS) activity during clinical relapse or recovery from clinical relapses. We examined the linkage between promyelinating biomarkers and volumetric changes in MS subjects during serial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods: We enrolled 13 MS subjects with active brain MRI scans not on disease modifying therapies. Read More

Mult Scler 2019 Feb 11:1352458519826364. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Background:: The effects of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) on region-specific brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis (MS) are unclear.

Objective:: To determine the effects of higher versus lower efficacy DMTs on rates of brain substructure atrophy in MS.

Methods:: A non-randomized, observational cohort of people with MS followed with annual brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was evaluated retrospectively. Read More

Neuroimage Clin 2019 Jan 30;22:101699. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.; Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy. Electronic address:

Irreversible white matter (WM) damage, including severe demyelination and axonal loss, is a main determinant of long-term disability in multiple sclerosis (MS). Non-invasive detection of changes in microstructural WM integrity in the disease is challenging since commonly used imaging metrics lack the necessary sensitivity, especially in the early phase of the disease. This study aims at assessing microstructural WM abnormalities in early-stage MS by using ultra-high gradient strength multi-shell diffusion MRI and the restricted signal fraction (FR) from the Composite Hindered and Restricted Model of Diffusion (CHARMED), a metric sensitive to the volume fraction of axons. Read More

Mult Scler Relat Disord 2019 Jan 30;30:45-47. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, PCAM-South Tower #765, 3400 Convention Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Electronic address:

Fabry's disease is an X-linked disorder of enzyme alpha-galactosidase A which leads to an accumulation of the glycolipids in lysosomes in vessels and organs. The disorder is rare with an estimated incidence of 1 in 40,000 and disease occurs more rarely in women than men. Paresthesias, hearing loss, and stroke are the typical neurological manifestations. Read More

Neuron 2019 Jan 23. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA. Electronic address:

Cerebrovascular alterations are a key feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. However, whether vascular damage contributes to synaptic dysfunction and how it synergizes with amyloid pathology to cause neuroinflammation and cognitive decline remain poorly understood. Here, we show that the blood protein fibrinogen induces spine elimination and promotes cognitive deficits mediated by CD11b-CD18 microglia activation. Read More

Eur J Neurol 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Applied Physiology Research Laboratory, School of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Lanarkshire Campus, Scotland, UK.

Background: Multiple sclerosis is a demyelinating and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system that can be tracked through biomarkers of disease status. We investigated the effects of exercise on MS biomarkers associated with central nervous system status including imaging, blood-brain barrier function and neurotrophic factors.

Methods: We conducted open-dated searches of Scopus, Medline, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library. Read More

Adv Clin Exp Med 2019 Feb 6. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

Department of General Radiology, Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland.

We review the current role of magnetic resonance (MR) volumetry as a meaningful indicator of neurodegeneration and clinical disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Based on a review of the current literature we summarize the mechanisms that contribute to brain atrophy. We present the newest magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based methods used in atrophy quantification. Read More

Mult Scler J Exp Transl Clin 2019 Jan-Mar;5(1):2055217318824618. Epub 2019 Jan 16.

Regional Research, Providence Health and Services, USA.

Background: Natalizumab is an effective treatment for relapsing multiple sclerosis. Return of disease activity upon natalizumab discontinuance creates the need for follow-up therapeutic strategies.

Objective: To assess the efficacy of teriflunomide following natalizumab discontinuance in relapsing multiple sclerosis patients. Read More

Mult Scler J Exp Transl Clin 2019 Jan-Mar;5(1):2055217318824612. Epub 2019 Jan 16.

Department of Medicine (Neurology), University of British Columbia, CanadaThe first two and final two authors contributed equally to the manuscript.

Background: Progressive solitary sclerosis is a unifocal demyelinating disease recently proposed as a possible multiple sclerosis variant.

Objective: To compare myelin content and brain metabolite ratio qualitatively in the normal-appearing white matter of progressive solitary sclerosis cases compared to multiple sclerosis and healthy control participants.

Methods: Case report. Read More

Children (Basel) 2019 Feb 4;6(2). Epub 2019 Feb 4.

Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, 1001 Main St., Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.

Pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) is relatively rare, but as technology and neuroimaging advance, an increasing number of cases are identified, and our understanding of how multiple sclerosis (MS) impacts the developing brain improves. There are consistent findings in the literature highlighting the impact of MS and other demyelinating diseases on cognitive functioning and cognitive development. We also have a better understanding of how POMS impacts psychosocial functioning and functional outcomes in daily living. Read More

Invest Radiol 2019 Jan 31. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Department of Neurology, and.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the performance of double inversion recovery (DIR) sequences accelerated by compressed sensing (CS) in a clinical setting.

Materials And Methods: We included 106 patients with MS (62 female [58%]; mean age, 44.9 ± 11. Read More

Ther Adv Neurol Disord 2019 25;12:1756286418823462. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia Sydney Neuroimaging Analysis Centre, Sydney, Australia.

Background: Whole brain atrophy (WBA) estimates in multiple sclerosis (MS) correlate more robustly with clinical disability than traditional, lesion-based metrics. We compare Structural Image Evaluation using Normalisation of Atrophy (SIENA) with the icobrain longitudinal pipeline (icobrain long), for assessment of longitudinal WBA in MS patients.

Methods: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan pairs [1. Read More

World Neurosurg 2019 Feb 1. Epub 2019 Feb 1.

Institute of Neurosurgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University, Rome.

Objective: We studied the correlation of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings with the prognosis of multiple sclerosis (MS)-related trigeminal neuralgia (TN) patients submitted to percutaneous balloon compression (PBC). No articles have previously been reported on this topic. We also performed a literature review of the pertinent studies. Read More

Brain 2019 Jan 30. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.

Spinal cord lesions detected on MRI hold important diagnostic and prognostic value for multiple sclerosis. Previous attempts to correlate lesion burden with clinical status have had limited success, however, suggesting that lesion location may be a contributor. Our aim was to explore the spatial distribution of multiple sclerosis lesions in the cervical spinal cord, with respect to clinical status. Read More

Eur J Neurol 2019 Feb 3. Epub 2019 Feb 3.

Department of Neurology, University Hospital "12 de Octubre", Madrid, Spain.

Introduction: The unanticipated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detection in the brain of asymptomatic subjects of white matter lesions suggestive of multiple sclerosis (MS) has been named as radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS). As the difference between early MS (i.e. Read More

Mult Scler Relat Disord 2019 Jan 28;29:124-129. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Department of Neurology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81541, Munich, Germany; TUM Neuroimaging Center, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81541, Munich, Germany; German Competence Network Multiple Sclerosis (KKNMS). Electronic address:

Background: The number of white matter lesions (WML) in brain MRI is the most established paraclinical tool to support the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) and to monitor its course. Diagnostic criteria have stipulated a minimum detectable diameter of 3 mm per WML, although this threshold is not evidence-based. We aimed to provide a rationale for a WML size threshold for three-dimensional MRI sequences at 3 T by comparing patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) to control subjects (CS). Read More

Ophthalmology 2019 Jan 31. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Save Sight Institute, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia; Department of Health and Medical Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW, Australia; Sydney Neuroimaging Analysis Centre, NSW, Australia.

Purpose: To compare functional and structural changes in the retina in patients with aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G (AQP4-IgG)-positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and multiple sclerosis (MS).

Design: Cross-sectional study; biochemical study of human retinas.

Participants: A total of 181 participants, including 22 consecutive patients (44 eyes) with NMOSD, 131 patients (262 eyes) with multiple sclerosis (MS), and 28 normal subjects (56 eyes). Read More

Mult Scler Relat Disord 2019 Jan 23;29:118-123. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

Neurology section, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Italy.

Background: Social cognition (SC) can be impaired in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients; however, most studies have not controlled for generalized cognitive impairment (CI), nor have they examined the role of the amygdala using advanced structural neuroimaging. Whether deficits in SC occur in the disease even before the concomitant manifestation of CI, with a specific interest in the role of bilateral amygdala.

Methods: In this study, we enrolled 31 RRMS patients and 38 healthy controls (HC). Read More

Neuroscience 2019 Jan 29. Epub 2019 Jan 29.

Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

In multiple sclerosis (MS), it would be of clinical value to be able to track the progression of axonal pathology, especially before the manifestation of clinical disability. However, non-invasive evaluation of short-term longitudinal progression of white matter integrity is challenging. This study aims at assessing longitudinal changes in the restricted (i. Read More

Med Sci Sports Exerc 2019 Jan 30. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

Oregon Health & Science University, Neurology, Portland, OR.

Purpose: We determined if a high-intensity aerobic exercise program would be safe, improve expected fitness and clinical outcomes, and alter exploratory phosphorous magnetic resonance spectroscopy (P MRS) outcomes in persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS).

Methods: This open-label prospective pilot study compared 2 cohorts of ambulatory PwMS matched for age, sex and VO2max. Cohorts underwent 8-weeks of high-intensity aerobic exercise (MS-Ex, n=10) or guided stretching (MS-Ctr, n=7). Read More

Med Clin North Am 2019 Mar 3;103(2):325-336. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address:

Autoimmune disorders of the central nervous system are common and often affect people in the most productive years of their lives. Among primary autoimmune diseases of the central nervous system, multiple sclerosis is most prevalent in the United States. Many other autoantibody-mediated neurologic syndromes have been identified within the past 2 to 3 decades, including neuromyelitis optica and anti-N-methyl-D aspartate receptor encephalitis. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2019 01 30;20(3). Epub 2019 Jan 30.

Department of Neurology, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany.

Chemokines (C-X-C) motif ligand (CXCL) 5 and 8 are overexpressed in patients with multiple sclerosis, where CXCL5 serum levels were shown to correlate with blood-brain barrier dysfunction as evidenced by gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. Here, we studied the potential role of CXCL5/CXCL8 receptor 2 (CXCR2) as a regulator of paraendothelial brain barrier function, using the well-characterized human cerebral microvascular endothelial cell line hCMEC/D3. Low basal CXCR2 mRNA and protein expression levels in hCMEC/D3 were found to strongly increase under inflammatory conditions. Read More

Front Neurol 2018 15;9:1156. Epub 2019 Jan 15.

Neurology Unit, Multiple Sclerosis Center, Department of Neuroscience of Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Rome, Italy.

The aim of the study was to estimate the rate of evolution or for multiple sclerosis (MS), after a first acute demyelinating event (ADE) in pediatric patients, and to investigate the variables that predict this evolution. We retrospectively evaluated the clinical and neuroradiological features of children who presented a first ADE between January 2005 and April 2017. All patients included underwent a baseline MRI, a cerebrospinal fluid and blood analysis, including virological examinations. Read More

Int J Neurosci 2019 Jan 29:1-9. Epub 2019 Jan 29.

a Abant Izzet Baysal University , College of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology , Bolu , Turkey.

Objective: To evaluate the thickness of choroid and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients with and without optic neuritis using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT).

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, both eyes of 52 MS patients [n = 104 eyes; 62 eyes of MS patients without optic neuritis (MS-NON) and 42 eyes of MS patients with optic neuritis (MS-ON)] and only one eye of 36 healthy control subjects (n = 36 eyes) were evaluated. Complete ophthalmologic examination and EDI-OCT scanning were completed for all participants. Read More

Cells 2019 Jan 28;8(2). Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Department of Anatomy, 39071 Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany.

Positron emission tomography (PET) ligands targeting the translocator protein (TSPO) represent promising tools to visualize neuroinflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS). Although it is known that TSPO is expressed in the outer mitochondria membrane, its cellular localization in the central nervous system under physiological and pathological conditions is not entirely clear. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of utilizing PET imaging with the TSPO tracer, [18F]-GE180, to detect histopathological changes during experimental demyelination, and to determine which cell types express TSPO. Read More

Noro Psikiyatr Ars 2018 ;55(Suppl 1):S31-S36

Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Ankara, Turkey.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system and one of the leading causes of disability in young adults. While some patients with MS have a benign course in which they develop limited disability even after many years, other patients have a rapidly progressive course resulting in severe disability. However, the progression of the disease, particularly disability, is currently a predictable course with neuroimaging features to some extend. Read More

Front Neurosci 2018 11;12:995. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

Molecular and Cellular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States.

The study of neurogenesis and neural progenitor cells (NPCs) is important across the biomedical spectrum, from learning about normal brain development and studying disease to engineering new strategies in regenerative medicine. In adult mammals, NPCs proliferate in two main areas of the brain, the subventricular zone (SVZ) and the subgranular zone, and continue to migrate even after neurogenesis has ceased within the rest of the brain. In healthy animals, NPCs migrate along the rostral migratory stream (RMS) from the SVZ to the olfactory bulb, and in diseased animals, NPCs migrate toward lesions such as stroke and tumors. Read More

Exp Neurol 2019 Jan 23;314:82-90. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA; Center for Biomedical Imaging at Clinical Translational Science Institute, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA. Electronic address:

Background: Leptomeningeal inflammation, as evidenced by leptomeningeal contrast enhancement (LMCE), is associated to cortical pathology in multiple sclerosis. The temporal pattern of LMCE in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) is unknown.

Objective: To investigate LMCE using serial MRI in the EAE model of MS, and its association with clinical disease progression. Read More

J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2019 Jan 25. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

Translational Neuromodeling Unit (TNU), Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms in multiple sclerosis (MS), with a major impact on patients' quality of life. Currently, treatment proceeds by trial and error with limited success, probably due to the presence of multiple different underlying mechanisms. Recent neuroscientific advances offer the potential to develop tools for differentiating these mechanisms in individual patients and ultimately provide a principled basis for treatment selection. Read More

J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2019 Jan 24:1-9. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

b Department of Psychology , Pennsylvania State University , University Park , PA , USA.

Introduction: In people with multiple sclerosis (MS), depression symptoms could be a direct consequence of neuropathological processes or a secondary consequence of coping with debilitating illness. We investigated the interaction of white matter structure and patient coping style in predicting positive and negative emotion symptoms of depression.

Method: Participants completed a neuropsychological battery, including the Chicago Multiscale Depression Inventory (CMDI) and a measure of coping strategies that has Active Coping (more adaptive) and Avoidant Coping (less adaptive) scales. Read More

Am J Case Rep 2019 Jan 24;20:101-105. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a serious opportunistic infectious disease with high morbidity and mortality. Its incidence in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients has risen since the introduction of disease modifying drugs. In the absence of a specific treatment, the outcome depends heavily on early diagnosis, which illustrates the importance of the role of characteristic brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Read More

Mult Scler Relat Disord 2019 Jan 17;29:48-54. Epub 2019 Jan 17.

Department of Neurology, Universitätsmedizin Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 68167 Mannheim, Germany. Electronic address:

Background: Several studies have reported the characteristics of acute multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI MRI). Current publications reported a transient reduction of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) delineating an early phase of lesion evolution, before increased diffusion occurs in parallel to blood-brain-barrier (BBB) breakdown. Sodium MRI might provide another perspective on lesion development, but clinical applications have been limited to high field MR systems. Read More

Brain 2019 Feb;142(2):426-442

Save Sight Institute, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.

The spread of neurodegeneration through the human brain network is reported as underlying the progression of neurodegenerative disorders. However, the exact mechanisms remain unknown. The human visual pathway is characterized by its unique hierarchical architecture and, therefore, represents an ideal model to study trans-synaptic degeneration, in contrast to the complexity in neural connectivity of the whole brain. Read More

Front Neural Circuits 2018 7;12:114. Epub 2019 Jan 7.

Laboratory of Functional and Molecular Imaging, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States.

MRI has been extensively used in neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), frontal-temporal dementia (FTD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). MRI is important for monitoring the neurodegenerative components in other diseases such as epilepsy, stroke and multiple sclerosis (MS). Manganese enhanced MRI (MEMRI) has been used in many preclinical studies to image anatomy and cytoarchitecture, to obtain functional information in areas of the brain and to study neuronal connections. Read More

Neuroimage Clin 2019 Jan 4;21:101667. Epub 2019 Jan 4.

Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Brain volume loss, or atrophy, has been proven to be an important characteristic of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis. To use atrophy rate as a reliable clinical biomarker and to increase statistical power in clinical treatment trials, measurement variability needs to be minimized. Among other sources, systematic differences between different MR scanners are suspected to contribute to this variability. Read More

Lancet Neurol 2019 Feb;18(2):198-210

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

Pathological evaluation is the gold standard for identifying processes related to multiple sclerosis that explain disease manifestations, and for guiding the development of new treatments. However, there are limitations to the techniques used, including the small number of donors available, samples often representing uncommon cases, and impossibility of follow-up. Correlative studies have demonstrated that MRI is sensitive to the different pathological substrates of multiple sclerosis (inflammation, demyelination, and neuro-axonal loss). Read More

J Magn Reson Imaging 2019 Jan 20. Epub 2019 Jan 20.

Division of MR Research, Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

Amide proton transfer-weighted (APTw) imaging is a molecular MRI technique that generates image contrast based predominantly on the amide protons in mobile cellular proteins and peptides that are endogenous in tissue. This technique, the most studied type of chemical exchange saturation transfer imaging, has been used successfully for imaging of protein content and pH, the latter being possible due to the strong dependence of the amide proton exchange rate on pH. In this article we briefly review the basic principles and recent technical advances of APTw imaging, which is showing promise clinically, especially for characterizing brain tumors and distinguishing recurrent tumor from treatment effects. Read More

Orv Hetil 2019 Jan;160(4):131-137

Neurológiai Klinika, Semmelweis Egyetem, Általános Orvostudományi Kar Budapest, Balassa u. 6., 1083.

Introduction: Data during routine patient care are created in multiple digital and paper-based hardcopy systems, therefore their retrieval is cumbersome in the follow-up of patients. Multiple sclerosis is the most prevalent neurological disorder in the young age, with major consequences on health and socio-economic status.

Aim: We set forth to create a user-friendly, detailed local database where it is easy to access, register and analyze data. Read More

Eur J Neurol 2019 Jan 19. Epub 2019 Jan 19.

Department of Neurology, University of Münster, Münster.

Background And Purpose: Post-ischaemic immune cell invasion into the brain is well characterized in animal stroke models and contributes to neuronal damage. Therefore, it represents a promising therapeutic target. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is easily accessible and may reflect cellular events within the parenchyma. Read More

Mult Scler Relat Disord 2019 Jan 10;29:15-22. Epub 2019 Jan 10.

Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Background: MOG antibody disease is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by the presence of a serological antibody against myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG). MRI is instrumental in distinguishing neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) from multiple sclerosis (MS), but MRI features of MOG disease appear to overlap with NMOSD and MS.

Objectives: In this study we aim to characterize the radiological features of MOG antibody disease and compare the findings with those previously described. Read More

Mult Scler 2019 Jan 18:1352458518819098. Epub 2019 Jan 18.

Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.

Background:: Daclizumab is a monoclonal antibody that binds the high-affinity interleukin-2 receptor and was approved for the treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis. Due to severe inflammatory brain disorders, the approval was suspended in March 2018.

Objective And Methods:: This retrospective cohort study summarizes clinical, laboratory, radiological, and histological findings of seven patients who developed meningo-/encephalitis after daclizumab therapy. Read More

Mult Scler 2019 Jan 18:1352458518822145. Epub 2019 Jan 18.

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:: Hand motor impairment has considerable effects on daily-life activities of patients with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). Understanding its anatomo-functional substrates is relevant to provide more specific therapeutic interventions.

Objectives:: To investigate the association between hand motor performance and anatomo-functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormalities in pwMS. Read More

J Magn Reson Imaging 2019 Jan 16. Epub 2019 Jan 16.

Advanced Imaging Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.

Background: MRI is the imaging modality of choice for diagnosis and intervention assessment in neurological disease. Its full potential has not been realized due in part to challenges in harmonizing advanced techniques across multiple sites.

Purpose: To develop a method for the assessment of reliability and repeatability of advanced multisite-multisession neuroimaging studies and specifically to assess the reliability of an advanced MRI protocol, including multiband fMRI and diffusion tensor MRI, in a multisite setting. Read More