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. 2014 Dec 15:7:910.
doi: 10.1186/1756-0500-7-910.

The multiple sclerosis visual pathway cohort: understanding neurodegeneration in MS

Elena H Martínez-Lapiscina, Elena Fraga-Pumar, Iñigo Gabilondo, Eloy Martínez-Heras, Ruben Torres-Torres, Santiago Ortiz-Pérez, Sara Llufriu, Ana Tercero, Magi Andorra, Marc Figueras Roca, Erika Lampert, Irati Zubizarreta, Albert Saiz, Bernardo Sanchez-Dalmau, Pablo Villoslada  1
Affiliations

The multiple sclerosis visual pathway cohort: understanding neurodegeneration in MS

Elena H Martínez-Lapiscina et al. BMC Res Notes. .

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.

Findings: 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.

Discussion: 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.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Displays the flow-chart of participants. It shows the participants dropped during the recruitment process as well as those dropped during the follow-up.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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