Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41998718›Full record

ArticleNeurological research and practice2026

MSpine: a prospective longitudinal study of spinal cord lesions in multiple sclerosis: MRI monitoring and prognostic factors for active disease. A study protocol.

Demmie Bouweriks, Daniel Kreiter, Stephanie A M Knippenberg, Jan G M C Damoiseaux, Joost Smolders, Jeroen J J van Eijk, Elwin H H Mommers, Janet W K de Beukelaar, Tom B G Olde Dubbelink, Audrey H H Merry and 2 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Neurological research and practice, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06827834 (A Prospective Longitudinal Study of Spinal Cord Lesions in Multiple Sclerosis), which is not on this map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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.

NCT06827834 recruitingnot on this map

A Prospective Longitudinal Study of Spinal Cord Lesions in Multiple Sclerosis: MRI Monitoring and Prognostic Factors for Active Disease

TypeobservationalSponsorZuyderland Medisch CentrumRan2024 to 2028Enrolled155ConditionsMultiple Sclerosis
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

12 authors.

Demmie BouweriksAcademic MS Center Zuyd, Department of Neurology, Zuyderland Medical Center, Sittard-Geleen, The Netherlands. d.bouweriks@zuyderland.nl.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0002-6141-5261
Daniel KreiterAcademic MS Center Zuyd, Department of Neurology, Zuyderland Medical Center, Sittard-Geleen, The Netherlands.
Stephanie A M KnippenbergAcademic MS Center Zuyd, Department of Neurology, Zuyderland Medical Center, Sittard-Geleen, The Netherlands.
Jan G M C DamoiseauxCentral Diagnostic Laboratory, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Joost SmoldersErasMS, Department of Neurology and Immunology, Erasmus Medical Centre, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Jeroen J J van EijkDepartment of Neurology, Jeroen Bosch Hospital, 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands.
Elwin H H MommersDepartment of Radiology, Zuyderland Medical Center, Sittard-Geleen, The Netherlands.
Janet W K de BeukelaarDepartment of Neurology, Albert Schweitzer Hospital, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.
Tom B G Olde DubbelinkDepartment of Neurology, Rijnstate, Arnhem, The Netherlands.
Audrey H H MerryZuyderland Academy, Zuyderland Medical Center, Sittard-Geleen, The Netherlands.
Raymond M M HuppertsAcademic MS Center Zuyd, Department of Neurology, Zuyderland Medical Center, Sittard-Geleen, The Netherlands.
Oliver H H GerlachAcademic MS Center Zuyd, Department of Neurology, Zuyderland Medical Center, Sittard-Geleen, The Netherlands.

Funding

Nationaal MS Fonds (NL) OZ2023-012
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMultiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Over the past years, spinal cord MRI (SC-MRI) has improved significantly in quality and has become an important part of the diagnostic workup for MS. Presently, follow-up imaging of the spinal cord is mainly performed when spinal cord related symptoms occur. However, there is increasing evidence that asymptomatic cord lesions can occur independently of brain disease activity. Even asymptomatic spinal cord lesions have been shown to be a poor prognostic factor regarding future disability accrual. Additionally, the association between (asymptomatic) spinal cord lesions and progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA) remains undefined. Prospective data on the frequency and importance of asymptomatic spinal cord lesions, and therefore the potential role of SC-MRI in treatment monitoring, is lacking.

objectiveWe will routinely scan the whole spinal cord (as well as routine brain MRI) to prospectively collect SC-MRI data, in addition to clinical parameters, blood-biomarkers and CSF, in recently diagnosed MS patients. The goal is to assess the incidence of asymptomatic spinal cord lesions in patients commencing disease modifying treatment (DMT) for the first time. It will be assessed how often disease activity is solely proven by SC-MRI. A secondary objective is to identify patient groups predisposed to developing new spinal cord lesions during follow-up in early disease.

methodsThis will be a multicentre, prospective longitudinal, observational study. The study population consists of relapsing-remitting MS patients, between 18 and 65 years old, initiating their first DMT within 5 years of the first clinical event. We aim to include 155 patients, who will receive three yearly SC-MRI (both sagittal and axial), brain MRI and biomarker assays during follow-up of 27 months.

resultsThis study started in August 2024. Currently, inclusion is still ongoing.

conclusionsThe goal of this study is to explore the incidence of asymptomatic spinal cord lesions in early MS and to identify prognostic factors for spinal cord disease activity.

trial registrationThis study has been registered in the Dutch CCMO/OMON Registry under NL-005846 at 12/03/2024 ( https://onderzoekmetmensen.nl/nl/trial/56629 ) and in ClinicalTrials.gov under registration number NCT06827834.

Indexed as

Active disease progressionMagnetic resonance imagingMultiple sclerosisPrognostic factorsRelapsing remittingSoluble immune checkpoint markerSpinal cord lesions

Identifiers

PMID41998718
PMCPMC13091239

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Registered trials

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.