title: The multiple sclerosis visual pathway cohort: understanding neurodegeneration in MS.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated disease of the Central Nervous System with two major underlying etiopathogenic processes: inflammation and neurodegeneration. The latter determines the prognosis of this disease. MS is the main cause of non-traumatic disability in middle-aged populations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The MS-VisualPath Cohort was set up to study the neurodegenerative component of MS using advanced imaging techniques by focusing on analysis of the visual pathway in a middle-aged MS population in Barcelona, Spain. We started the recruitment of patients in the early phase of MS in 2010 and it remains permanently open. All patients undergo a complete neurological and ophthalmological examination including measurements of physical and disability (Expanded Disability Status Scale; Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite and neuropsychological tests), disease activity (relapses) and visual function testing (visual acuity, color vision and visual field). The MS-VisualPath protocol also assesses the presence of anxiety and depressive symptoms (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), general quality of life (SF-36) and visual quality of life (25-Item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire with the 10-Item Neuro-Ophthalmic Supplement). In addition, the imaging protocol includes both retinal (Optical Coherence Tomography and Wide-Field Fundus Imaging) and brain imaging (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). Finally, multifocal Visual Evoked Potentials are used to perform neurophysiological assessment of the visual pathway.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The analysis of the visual pathway with advance imaging and electrophysilogical tools in parallel with clinical information will provide significant and new knowledge regarding neurodegeneration in MS and provide new clinical and imaging biomarkers to help monitor disease progression in these patients.
authors.forename: Elena H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Martínez-Lapiscina
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fraga-Pumar
authors.forename: Iñigo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gabilondo
authors.forename: Eloy
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martínez-Heras
authors.forename: Ruben
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Torres-Torres
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ortiz-Pérez
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Llufriu
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tercero
authors.forename: Magi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andorra
authors.forename: Marc Figueras
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Roca
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lampert
authors.forename: Irati
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zubizarreta
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saiz
authors.forename: Bernardo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Dalmau
authors.affiliation: Center of Neuroimmunology, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS) - Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Casanova 145, Planta 3A, 08036 Barcelona, Spain. pvilloslada@clinic.ub.es.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Villoslada
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D055253:Color Vision; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014794:Visual Fields; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology*