Acta Neurol Scand 2001 Jul;104(1):24-30
Schreiber K, Sorensen PS, Koch-Henriksen
N, Wagner A, Blinkenberg M, Svarer C, Petersen HC
Copenhagen University Hospital,
Rigshospital, Department of Neurology, The Danish Multiple Sclerosis Registry,
Department of Radiology and The Danish Institute of Clinical Epidemiology.
OBJECTIVES:
The objective was to correlate magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) T2-weighted lesion load and measures of white matter
atrophy in the brain to disability in a population-based sample of patients
with multiple sclerosis (MS).
MATERIAL AND METHODS:
A well defined cohort of patients
was drawn at random from the general MS population by using the Danish
Multiple Sclerosis Reigistry. A semi-automated local thresholding technique
was used to quantify T2-weighted lesions on MRI; whereas manual tracing
was applied to measure the corpus callosum brain ratio (CCR) and the ventricle
brain ratio (VBR).
RESULTS:
A sample of 86 patients with a mean
age of 43.3 years (SD 4.3), mean disease duration of 13.6 years (SD 4.4)
and a median Expanded Disability Status Score (EDSS) of 6.0 was identified.
The correlation between total lesion area of the brain (TLA) and disability
(EDSS) for the whole sample was moderate (Spearman rank correlation coefficient
r=0.48, P<0.001). Also correlations of CCR and VBR to disability (r=0.32-0.46)
were significant.
CONCLUSIONS:
Correlations of TLA and disability
in this study were rather strong. Hence, T2-weighted MRI lesion load in
the brain still plays an important role as a surrogate marker of disease
and as a secondary outcome measure in phase III treatment trials.
PMID: 11442439, UI: 21335780