title: Spinal cord atrophy in multiple sclerosis caused by white matter volume loss.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the relative contributions of white matter (WM) and gray matter (GM) volume loss to spinal cord atrophy in multiple sclerosis (MS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Postmortem study of transverse sections obtained from 5 levels of the spinal cord, with measurement of the cross-sectional GM and WM areas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Department of Neuropathology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, England.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-five MS cases and 33 controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Size of the WM and GM areas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The WM area was significantly reduced in MS cases in the upper but not the lower cord levels. The GM area was not significantly different between MS and control cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Spinal cord atrophy in MS is due to WM rather than GM volume loss.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Queens Medical Centre National Health Service Trust, Nottingham, England. chris.gilmore@nottingham.ac.uk
authors.forename: Christopher P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Gilmore
authors.forename: Gabriele C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: DeLuca
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bö
authors.forename: Trudy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Owens
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lowe
authors.forename: Margaret M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Esiri
authors.forename: Nikos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Evangelou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001284:Atrophy / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001344:Autopsy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000473:pathology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012737:Sex Factors; D016622:Silver Staining; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology