Progression of regional atrophy in the left hemisphere contributes to clinical and cognitive deterioration in multiple sclerosis: A 5-year study

Abstract

In this longitudinal study, we investigated the regional patterns of focal lesions accumulation, and gray (GM) and white matter (WM) atrophy progression over a five-year follow-up (FU) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and their association with clinical and cognitive deterioration. Neurological, neuropsychological and brain MRI (dual-echo and 3D T1-weighted sequences) assessments were prospectively performed at baseline (T0) and after a median FU of 4.9 years from 66 MS patients (including relapse-onset and primary progressive MS) and 16 matched controls. Lesion probability maps were obtained. Longitudinal changes of GM and WM volumes and their association with clinical and cognitive deterioration were assessed using tensor-based morphometry and SPM12. At FU, 36/66 (54.5%) MS patients showed a significant disability worsening, 14/66 (21.2%) evolved to a worse clinical phenotype, and 18/63 (28.6%) developed cognitive deterioration. At T0, compared to controls, MS patients showed a widespread pattern of GM atrophy, involving cortex, deep GM and cerebellum, and atrophy of the majority of WM tracts, which further progressed at FU (P < 0.001, uncorrected). Compared to stable patients, those with clinical and cognitive worsening showed a left-lateralized pattern of GM and WM atrophy, involving deep GM, fronto-temporo-parieto-occipital regions, cerebellum, and several WM tracts (P < 0.001, uncorrected).GM and WM atrophy of relevant brain regions occur in MS after 5 years. A different vulnerability of the two brain hemispheres to irreversible structural damage may be among the factors contributing to clinical and cognitive worsening in these patients. Hum Brain Mapp 38:5648–5665, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.