Biomarkers of disease progression

Abstract

After being informed about a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS), patients are often concerned about the risk of disease progression and future prognosis. Many are naturally concerned over the future course, severity of the disease, and likely disability. The answers to these prognostic questions are difficult because of the unpredictable disease course in MS. On the one hand, many patients may remain stable for years without treatment, whereas others may progress rapidly despite optimal therapy. As discussed in previous chapters, the recognized anatomical basis for disease progression is axonal loss. Therefore, biomarkers which allow assessment of axonal loss in MS may potentially provide valuable information on disease progression and prognosis.