Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39422730›Full record

ArticleNeuroradiology2025

Are white matter hyperintensities associated with neuroborreliosis? The answer is twofold.

Elisabeth S Lindland, Martin S Røvang, Anne Marit Solheim, Silje Andreassen, Ingerid Skarstein, Nazeer Dareez, Bradley J MacIntosh, Randi Eikeland, Unn Ljøstad, Åse Mygland and 7 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Neuroradiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing 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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
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

17 authors.

Elisabeth S LindlandDepartment of Radiology, Sorlandet Hospital, Sykehusveien 1, 4838, Arendal, Norway. Elisabeth.M.S.Lindland@sshf.no.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8900-4419
Martin S RøvangDepartment of Physics and Computational Radiology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8890-1561
Anne Marit SolheimDepartment of Neurology, Sorlandet Hospital, Kristiansand, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7357-6287
Silje AndreassenInstitute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1668-5799
Ingerid SkarsteinInstitute of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-3221-3643
Nazeer DareezDepartment of Radiology, Sorlandet Hospital, Sykehusveien 1, 4838, Arendal, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7258-3693
Bradley J MacIntoshDepartment of Physics and Computational Radiology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7300-2355
Randi EikelandThe Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Tick-Borne Diseases, Sorlandet Hospital, Kristiansand, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0104-9626
Unn LjøstadDepartment of Neurology, Sorlandet Hospital, Kristiansand, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7666-1396
Åse MyglandDepartment of Neurology, Sorlandet Hospital, Kristiansand, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9160-2805
Steffan D BosDepartment of Microbiology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2975-7520
Elling UlvestadInstitute of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5901-8422
Harald ReisoThe Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Tick-Borne Diseases, Sorlandet Hospital, Kristiansand, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4874-8707
Åslaug R LorentzenDepartment of Neurology, Sorlandet Hospital, Kristiansand, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6918-4157
Hanne F HarboInstitute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6047-0122
Atle BjørnerudDepartment of Physics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3486-3141
Mona K BeyerInstitute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9156-6357

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeMany consider white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) to be important imaging findings in neuroborreliosis. However, evidence regarding association with WMHs is of low quality. The objective was to investigate WMHs in neuroborreliosis visually and quantitatively. MATERIALS AND

methodsPatients underwent brain MRI within one month of diagnosis and six months after treatment. Healthy controls were recruited. WMHs were counted by visual rating and the volume was calculated from automatic segmentation. Biochemical markers and scores for clinical symptoms and findings were used to explore association with longitudinal volume change of WMHs.

resultsThe study included 74 patients (37 males) with early neuroborreliosis and 65 controls (30 males). Mean age (standard deviation) was 57.4 (13.5) and 57.7 (12.9) years, respectively. Baseline WMH lesion count was zero in 14 patients/16 controls, < 10 in 36/31, 10-20 in 9/7 and > 20 in 13/11, with no difference between groups (p = 0.90). However, from baseline to follow-up the patients had a small reduction in WMH volume and the controls a small increase, median difference 0.136 (95% confidence interval 0.051-0.251) ml. In patients, volume change was not associated with biochemical or clinical markers, but with degree of WMHs (p values 0.002-0.01).

conclusionWMH lesions were not more numerous in patients with neuroborreliosis compared to healthy controls. However, there was a small reduction of WMH volume from baseline to follow-up among patients, which was associated with higher baseline WMH severity, but not with disease burden or outcome. Overall, non-specific WMHs should not be considered suggestive of neuroborreliosis.

Indexed as

Lyme NeuroborreliosisMagnetic Resonance ImagingWhite MatterAdultCase-Control StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedCentral nervous system infectionsLyme neuroborreliosisMagnetic resonance imagingTick-borne diseases

Identifiers

PMID39422730
PMCPMC11802615

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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.