Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33838548›Full record

ArticleNeuroImage. Clinical2021

Cortical fractal dimension predicts disability worsening in Multiple Sclerosis patients.

Eloy Roura, Grégory Maclair, Magí Andorrà, Ferran Juanals, Irene Pulido-Valdeolivas, Albert Saiz, Yolanda Blanco, Maria Sepulveda, Sara Llufriu, Eloy Martínez-Heras and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in NeuroImage. Clinical, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed
–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

13 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
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  7. Fractal Analysis in Neurodegenerative Diseases.Advances in neurobiology · 2024
    Article
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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

13 authors.

Eloy RouraHealth Engineering SL, Getxo, Spain.
Grégory MaclairHealth Engineering SL, Getxo, Spain.
Magí AndorràInstitut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer - Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Spain.
Ferran JuanalsHealth Engineering SL, Getxo, Spain.
Irene Pulido-ValdeolivasInstitut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer - Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Spain.
Albert SaizInstitut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer - Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Spain.
Yolanda BlancoInstitut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer - Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Spain.
Maria SepulvedaInstitut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer - Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Spain.
Sara LlufriuInstitut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer - Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Spain.
Eloy Martínez-HerasInstitut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer - Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Spain.
Elisabeth SolanaInstitut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer - Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Spain.
Elena H Martinez-LapiscinaInstitut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer - Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Spain.
Pablo VillosladaInstitut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer - Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Spain; Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. Electronic address: pvillos@stanford.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFractal geometry measures the morphology of the brain and detects CNS damage. We aimed to assess the longitudinal changes on brain's fractal geometry and its predictive value for disease worsening in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

methodsWe prospectively analyzed 146 consecutive patients with relapsing-remitting MS with up to 5 years of clinical and brain MRI (3 T) assessments. The fractal dimension and lacunarity were calculated for brain regions using box-counting methods. Longitudinal changes were analyzed in mixed-effect models and the risk of disability accumulation were assessed using Cox Proportional Hazard regression analysis.

resultsThere was a significant decrease in the fractal dimension and increases of lacunarity in different brain regions over the 5-year follow-up. Lower cortical fractal dimension increased the risk of disability accumulation for the Expanded Disability Status Scale [HR 0.9734, CI 0.8420-0.9125; Harrell C 0.59; Wald p 0.038], 9-hole peg test [HR 0.9734, CI 0.8420-0.9125; Harrell C 0.59; Wald p 0.0083], 2.5% low contrast vision [HR 0.4311, CI 0.2035-0.9133; Harrell C 0.58; Wald p 0.0403], symbol digit modality test [HR 2.215, CI 1.043-4.705; Harrell C 0.65; Wald p 0.0384] and MS Functional Composite-4 [HR 0.55, CI 0.317-0.955; Harrell C 0.59; Wald p 0.0029].

conclusionsFractal geometry analysis of brain MRI identified patients at risk of increasing their disability in the next five years.

Indexed as

Multiple SclerosisMultiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-RemittingBrainDisability EvaluationDisease ProgressionFractalsHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingBrain MRIClinical outcomesDisability progressionFractal dimensionMultiple Sclerosis

Identifiers

PMID33838548
PMCPMC8045041

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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.