Clocks out of sync: Increased epigenetic aging variability in multiple sclerosis.

Fernanda L Schumacher, Gary Cutter, Christin E Burd, Kellie Archer, Yinan Zhang

Abstract read

In one paragraph

Article in Journal of the neurological sciences, 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

5 authors.

Fernanda L SchumacherDivision of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, USA. Electronic address: schumacher.313@osu.edu.

Gary CutterDepartment of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.

Christin E BurdDepartment of Molecular Genetics, College of Arts and Sciences, The Ohio State University, USA; Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, USA.

Kellie ArcherDivision of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, USA.

Yinan ZhangDivision of Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology, Department of Neurology, The Ohio State University, USA.

Funding

Markers of Biological Aging in Multiple SclerosisR03AG078946 · NIA · OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY · PI ZHANG, YINAN · 2022 to 2023

$315k

NIA NIH HHS R03 AG078946

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Epigenetic clocks are composite measures of DNA methylation used as markers of biological age. This study found that epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) exhibits greater variability in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) compared to sex- and age-matched healthy controls (HC). Specifically, the standard deviation for PhenoAge in the secondary progressive (SP) MS group was 12.7, which is 1.5 times that of controls. A likelihood ratio test confirmed a significant difference in variance across relapsing remitting (RR) MS, SPMS, and HC groups, with a p-value of 0.017. This heterogeneity suggests future epigenetic aging studies in MS will require larger sample sizes and underscore the need for variance-aware sample size planning.

Indexed as

AgingEpigenesis, GeneticMultiple SclerosisAdultDNA MethylationFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedDNA methylationEpigenetic age accelerationEpigenetic clocksHeterogeneityMultiple sclerosisVariance reporting

Identifiers

PMID41924832

DOI10.1016/j.jns.2026.125904

PMCPMC13109908

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.