Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40518265›Full record

ArticleJournal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry2025

Multiple sclerosis from onset to secondary progression: a 30-year Italian register study.

Aurora Zanghì, Massimiliano Copetti, Carlo Avolio, Damiano Paolicelli, Marzia Anita Lucia Romeo, Francesco Patti, Giovanna De Luca, Maria Pia Amato, Simonetta Galgani, Patrizia Sola and 12 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing 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

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
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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

22 authors.

Aurora ZanghìDepartment of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.
Massimiliano CopettiBiostatistics Unit, IRCCS-Ospedale Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy.
Carlo AvolioDepartment of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.
Damiano PaolicelliDepartment of Translational Biomedicines and Neurosciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy.
Marzia Anita Lucia RomeoNeurology, San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy.
Francesco PattiUniversity of Catania, Catania, Italy.
Giovanna De LucaCentro Sclerosi Multipla, Clinica Neurologica, Ospedale SS Annunziata, Università degli Studi Gabriele d'Annunzio Chieti Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
Maria Pia AmatoDepartment of Neurological Siences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Simonetta GalganiSan Camillo Forlanini Hospital, Roma, Italy.
Patrizia SolaDepartment of Neuroscience, S. Agostino-Estense Hospital and University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
Giuseppe SalemiDepartment of Experimental Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
Paolo GalloDepartment of Neurosciences, University Hospital, Multiple Sclerosis Centre of Veneto Region, First Neurology Clinic, Padova, Italy.
Franco GranellaNeurosciences, Multiple Sclerosis Center, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
Silvia RomanoCenter for Experimental Neurological Therapy, S. Andrea Hospital, University of Rome, La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
Mauro ZaffaroniMultiple Sclerosis Centre, Azienda Ospedaliera Sant\'Antonio Abate di Gallarate, Gallarate, Italy.
Roberto BergamaschiMultiple Sclerosis Centre, Neurological Institute C.Mondino, Pavia, Italy.
Carlo PozzilliSapienza University, Roma, Italy.
Giacomo LusUniversità della Campania Luigi Van Vitelli, Naples, Italy.
Marika VianelloOU Neurology, Unit of Neurology, Treviso, Italy.
Maria TrojanoDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sense Organs, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
Emanuele D'AmicoDepartment of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy emanuele.damico@unifg.it.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7494-9057
Italian Multiple Sclerosis register

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThree decades have passed since the initial approval of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). Ongoing discussion is focused on fundamental aspects of the disease, highlighting a growing division between successes in managing relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) and the persistent challenges posed by disease progression.

methodsA cohort study on prospectively acquired data from the Italian MS register. The primary outcome was to describe the MS disease course from onset to secondary progression (SP) defined according to a data-driven algorithm over 30 years follow-up and according to five different eras of disease onset.

resultsA total cohort of 9958 patients was analysed; 1364 converted to SP after a mean of 8.5 (SD 5.5) years. A higher rate of patients converting to SP had never been exposed to DMTs (135, 9.9% vs 424, 5.2%) than non-converting ones. The treatment coverage was also lower in patients converting to SP than non-converting ones 58.4 (SD 31.5) vs 73.6 (SD 27.6).The SP incidence rate was 1.26 (95% CI 1.19 to 1.32) overall. The rates showed a downward trend among the different eras: from 1st era 1.98 (95% CI 1.73 to 2.27) to 5th era 1.15 (95% CI 0.97 to 1.35).In the multivariable Cox model, 10% increase of treatment coverage was associated to 19% lower risk to convert to SP (10%, HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.87 to 0.90).

conclusionsThis 30-year analysis suggests that SP conversion rates have decreased over time, partially explained by improvements in therapeutic coverage. Future research should adopt a multifaceted approach to develop more comprehensive models of disease progression.

Indexed as

Multiple SclerosisMultiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-RemittingAdultCohort StudiesDisease ProgressionFemaleHumansItalyMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesRegistriesMULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Identifiers

PMID40518265
PMCPMC12573403

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.