Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41722502›Full record

ArticleNeuroImage. Clinical2026

Subcortical microglial inflammation is uniquely linked to subpial cortical demyelination in multiple sclerosis.

Risavarshni Thevakumaran, Stephan Blinder, Marcus Couch, Alexey Kostikov, Rozalia Arnaoutelis, Sridar Narayanan, Pedro Rosa-Neto, Douglas L Arnold, David A Rudko

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in NeuroImage. Clinical, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

9 authors.

Risavarshni ThevakumaranMcGill University, Department of Biological and Biomedical Engineering, Montreal H3A 0G4, Canada; Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal H3A 2B4, Canada.
Stephan BlinderMontreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal H3A 2B4, Canada.
Marcus CouchMontreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal H3A 2B4, Canada; Siemens Healthcare Limited, Montreal H4R 2N9, Canada; McGill University, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal H3A 2B4, Canada.
Alexey KostikovMontreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal H3A 2B4, Canada; McGill University, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal H3A 2B4, Canada.
Rozalia ArnaoutelisMontreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal H3A 2B4, Canada.
Sridar NarayananMontreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal H3A 2B4, Canada; McGill University, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal H3A 2B4, Canada.
Pedro Rosa-NetoMcGill University, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal H3A 2B4, Canada; McGill University, Department of Psychiatry, Montreal H3A 2B4, Canada; McGill University Research Centre for Studies in Aging, Douglas Research Centre, Montreal H4H 1R3, Canada.
Douglas L ArnoldMontreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal H3A 2B4, Canada; McGill University, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal H3A 2B4, Canada.
David A RudkoMcGill University, Department of Biological and Biomedical Engineering, Montreal H3A 0G4, Canada; Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal H3A 2B4, Canada; McGill University, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal H3A 2B4, Canada. Electronic address: david.rudko@mcgill.ca.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn multiple sclerosis (MS), pathology of both the subpial cortex and subependymal parenchyma has been strongly linked to compartmentalized meningeal inflammation. The topographical distribution of subpial demyelination can be appraised in vivo using surface-based mapping of magnetization transfer saturation (MTsat) in the cortex with 7T MRI. We combined 7T cortical MTsat mapping with [

methodsThirty-eight MS patients (median EDSS: 4.0) and 21 healthy controls (HCs) underwent high resolution 7T MRI and [

resultsMSHigh patients presented substantially greater, diffuse reductions in MTsat at all three cortical depths relative to HCs (P < 0.05). Areas of significantly reduced MTsat were greatest at 25% depth in the frontal, parietal and cingulate cortices, occupying nearly 70% of total cortical area and providing evidence of extensive subpial demyelination. Importantly, MSHigh patients presented increased microstructural abnormalities in subcortical regions (P < 0.05), alongside higher Expanded Disability Status Score (EDSS) (P = 0.02), increased odds of progressive MS (odds ratio = 4.85:1 [1.20, 23.26], P = 0.03) and significant cortical atrophy (P = 0.009). DISCUSSION: We provide in vivo evidence of a relationship between subcortical microglial inflammation and subpial demyelination in MS that is associated with increased clinical disability.

Indexed as

Cerebral CortexDemyelinating DiseasesInflammationMicrogliaMultiple SclerosisAdultFemaleHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMiddle AgedPositron-Emission TomographyDisease progressionMicroglial activationMultiple sclerosisPositron emission tomographySubpial demyelinationUltra-high field magnetic resonance imaging

Identifiers

PMID41722502
PMCPMC12934281

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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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.