Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28185158›Full record

ReviewCNS drugs2017

Outcome Measures in Clinical Trials for Multiple Sclerosis.

Caspar E P van Munster, Bernard M J Uitdehaag

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in CNS drugs, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 108 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
108citing papers in PubMed, 8 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

108 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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48 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Caspar E P van MunsterDepartment of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, VUmc MS Center Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. c.vanmunster@vumc.nl.
Bernard M J UitdehaagDepartment of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, VUmc MS Center Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Due to the heterogeneous nature of the disease, it is a challenge to capture disease activity of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a reliable and valid way. Therefore, it can be difficult to assess the true efficacy of interventions in clinical trials. In phase III trials in MS, the traditionally used primary clinical outcome measures are the Expanded Disability Status Scale and the relapse rate. Secondary outcome measures in these trials are the number or volume of T2 hyperintense lesions and gadolinium-enhancing T1 lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain. These secondary outcome measures are often primary outcome measures in phase II trials in MS. Despite several limitations, the traditional clinical measures are still the mainstay for assessing treatment efficacy. Newer and potentially valuable outcome measures increasingly used or explored in MS trials are, clinically, the MS Functional Composite and patient-reported outcome measures, and on MRI, brain atrophy and the formation of persisting black holes. Several limitations of these measures have been addressed and further improvements will probably be proposed. Major improvements are the coverage of additional functional domains such as cognitive functioning and assessment of the ability to carry out activities of daily living. The development of multidimensional measures is promising because these measures have the potential to cover the full extent of MS activity and progression. In this review, we provide an overview of the historical background and recent developments of outcome measures in MS trials. We discuss the advantages and limitations of various measures, including newer assessments such as optical coherence tomography, biomarkers in body fluids and the concept of 'no evidence of disease activity'.

Indexed as

Clinical Trials as TopicBiomarkersHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMultiple SclerosisTomography, Optical CoherenceTreatment OutcomeBiomarkers

Identifiers

PMID28185158
PMCPMC5336539

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.