title: Corpus callosum index and long-term disability in multiple sclerosis patients.
abstract: Prediction of long-term disability in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is essential. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurement of brain volume may be of predictive value but sophisticated MRI techniques are often inaccessible in clinical practice. The corpus callosum index (CCI) is a normalized measurement that reflects changes of brain volume. We investigated medical records and 533 MRI scans at diagnosis and during clinical follow-up of 169 MS patients (mean age 42 +/- 11 years, 86% relapsing-remitting MS, time since first relapse 11 +/- 9 years). CCI at diagnosis was 0.345 +/- 0.04 and correlated with duration of disease (p = 0.002; r = -0.234) and expanded disability status scale (EDSS) score at diagnosis (r = -0.428; p < 0.001). Linear regression analyses identified age, duration of disease, relapse rate and EDSS at diagnosis as independent predictors for disability after mean of 7.1 years (Nagelkerkes' R:0.56). Annual CCI decrease was 0.01 +/- 0.02 (annual tissue loss: 1.3%). In secondary progressive MS patients, CCI decrease was double compared to that in relapsing-remitting MS patients (p = 0.04). There was a trend of greater CCI decrease in untreated patients compared to those who received disease modifying drugs (p = 0.2). CCI is an easy to use MRI marker for estimating brain atrophy in patients with MS. Brain atrophy as measured with CCI was associated with disability progression but it was not an independent predictor of long-term disability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Basel, Petersgraben 4, 4031 Basel, Switzerland. OYaldizli@uhbs.ch
authors.forename: Ozgür
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yaldizli
authors.forename: Ramin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Atefy
authors.forename: Achim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gass
authors.forename: Dietrich
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sturm
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Glassl
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tettenborn
authors.forename: Norman
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Putzki
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001284:Atrophy; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020528:Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013995:Time; D055815:Young Adult