ArticlePloS one2018
Whole brain and deep gray matter atrophy detection over 5 years with 3T MRI in multiple sclerosis using a variety of automated segmentation pipelines.
Article in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
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.
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.
Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed.
- The effect of gadolinium-based contrast-agents on automated brain atrophy measurements by FreeSurfer in patients with multiple sclerosis.European radiology · 2022Trial
- Feasibility of a 12-month, remotely delivered and supported aerobic walking exercise training program for brain and cognition in adults with multiple sclerosis.Journal of neurology · 2026Article
- High-Dose Pulse Glucocorticoid Treatment Prevents White Matter Spinal Cord Pseudoatrophy in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Sclerosis.Annals of neurology · 2025Article
- A systematic literature review of the association between global brain atrophy and the Expanded Disability Status Scale score in people with multiple sclerosis.Therapeutic advances in neurological disorders · 2025Review
- Real-world brain volumetry in multiple sclerosis: importance of methodological consistency and clinical relevance of gray matter atrophy.Frontiers in neurology · 2025Article
- Percentage brain volume change in multiple sclerosis mainly reflects white matter and cortical volume.Annals of clinical and translational neurology · 2023Article
- Quantitative signal properties from standardized MRIs correlate with multiple sclerosis disability.Annals of clinical and translational neurology · 2021Article
- Research and Analysis of Brain Glioma Imaging Based on Deep Learning.Journal of healthcare engineering · 2021Article
- Brain MRI Predicts Worsening Multiple Sclerosis Disability over 5 Years in the SUMMIT Study.Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging · 2020Article
- Brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis: mechanisms, clinical relevance and treatment options.Auto- immunity highlights · 2019Review
- Quantitative magnetic resonance assessment of brain atrophy related to selected aspects of disability in patients with multiple sclerosis: preliminary results.Polish journal of radiology · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCerebral atrophy is common in multiple sclerosis (MS) and selectively involves gray matter (GM). Several fully automated methods are available to measure whole brain and regional deep GM (DGM) atrophy from MRI.
objectiveTo assess the sensitivity of fully automated MRI segmentation pipelines in detecting brain atrophy in patients with relapsing-remitting (RR) MS and normal controls (NC) over five years.
methodsConsistent 3D T1-weighted sequences were performed on a 3T GE unit in 16 mildly disabled patients with RRMS and 16 age-matched NC at baseline and five years. All patients received disease-modifying immunotherapy on-study. Images were applied to two pipelines to assess whole brain atrophy [brain parenchymal fraction (BPF) from SPM12; percentage brain volume change (PBVC) from SIENA] and two other pipelines (FSL-FIRST; FreeSurfer) to assess DGM atrophy (thalamus, caudate, globus pallidus, putamen). MRI change was compared by two sample t-tests. Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and timed 25-foot walk (T25FW) change was compared by repeated measures proportional odds models.
resultsUsing FreeSurfer, the MS group had a ~10-fold acceleration in on-study volume loss than NC in the caudate (mean decrease 0.51 vs. 0.05 ml, p = 0.022). In contrast, caudate atrophy was not detected by FSL-FIRST (mean decrease 0.21 vs. 0.12 ml, p = 0.53). None of the other pipelines showed any difference in volume loss between groups, for whole brain or regional DGM atrophy (all p>0.38). The MS group showed on-study stability on EDSS (p = 0.47) but slight worsening of T25FW (p = 0.054).
conclusionsIn this real-world cohort of mildly disabled treated patients with RRMS, we identified ongoing atrophy of the caudate nucleus over five years, despite the lack of any significant whole brain atrophy, compared to healthy controls. The detectability of caudate atrophy was dependent on the MRI segmentation pipeline employed. These findings underscore the increased sensitivity gained when assessing DGM atrophy in monitoring MS.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.