Feasibility of Brain Atrophy Measurement in Clinical Routine without Prior Standardization of the MRI Protocol: Results from MS-MRIUS, a Longitudinal Observational, Multicenter Real-World Outcome Study in Patients with Relapsing-Remitting MS

Article Figures & Data

Table 1:

Demographic and clinical characteristics of the study subjects according to the MRI scanner changes between the index and postindex periods^{^a}

Index Variables	Total Patients with RRMS (n = 590)	Patients with RRMS with MRI Scanner Changes (n = 309)	Patients with RRMS without MRI Scanner Changes (n = 281)	P Value^{^b}
Age at index in yr (median) (IQR)	42 (36; 49)	41 (35; 48)	44 (37; 51)	.007
Women (No.) (%)	464 (78.6)	247 (79.9)	217 (77.2)	.422
Race/ethnicity (No.) (%)
Caucasian/white	494 (83.7)	252 (81.6)	242 (86.1)	.319
Non-Caucasian	63 (10.7)	37 (12.0)	26 (9.3)
Unknown	33 (5.6)	20 (6.5)	13 (4.6)
Body mass index at index (median) (IQR)	26.6 (23.2–30.6)	26.5 (23.3–30.4)	26.6 (23–30.9)	.895
Disease duration in yr (median) (IQR)	8 (4; 13)	7 (4; 12)	8 (4; 13)	.148
Number with relapse in 2 yr before index (No.) (%)	236 (40.0)	143 (46.3)	93 (33.1)	.003
EDSS at index (median) (IQR)	2.0 (1.0–3.0)	2.0 (1.0–3.0)	2.5 (1.5–3.5)	.002
Use of DMT 2 yr before index (No.) (%)
Teriflunomide	5 (0.9)	3 (1)	2 (0.7)	.749
Glatiramer acetate	175 (30.8)	87 (28.9)	88 (32.8)	.310
Interferon-β	317 (55.7)	175 (58.1)	142 (53)	.217
Alemtuzumab	1 (0.2)	1 (0.3)	0 (0)	.345
Dimethyl fumarate	38 (6.7)	21 (7)	17 (6.3)	.763
No DMT	94 (15.9)	46 (14.9)	48 (17.1)	.467

Note:—EDSS indicates Expanded Disability Status Scale; IQR, interquartile range; DMT, disease-modifying treatment.
↵a MRI changes include hardware/software/coil/protocol differences between the index and postindex.
↵b P values represent group comparisons of patients with MS with and without MRI changes during the follow-up derived with the Student t, χ², and Mann-Whitney rank sum tests as appropriate.

Table 2:

Brain atrophy measures of the study subjects between index and postindex, according to MRI changes^{^a}

	Total Patients with RRMS	Patients with RRMS with MRI Software/Coil/Protocol Changes	Patients with RRMS without MRI Software/Coil/Protocol Changes	P Value^{^b}
PBVC on 2D-T1WI	n = 259	n = 89	n = 170	.233
	−0.31 (−0.74–0.13)	−0.35 (−0.97–0.11)	−0.28 (−0.67–0.14)
PBVC on 3D-T1WI	n = 110	n = 37	n = 73	.740
	−0.38 (−0.88 to −0.04)	−0.38 (−0.93–0.02)	−0.37 (−0.81 to −0.08)
PLVVC on 2D-T1WI	n = 257	n = 89	n = 168	.848
	0.95 (−1.77–3.99)	0.95 (−1.92–4.1)	0.96 (−1.63–3.94)
PLVVC on 3D-T1WI	n = 110	n = 37	n = 73	.940
	1.47 (−1.26–4.39)	1.5 (−1.36–4.15)	1.01 (−1.17–4.46)
PLVVC on T2-FLAIR	n = 388	n = 130	n = 258	.179
	0.90 (−2.91–5.94)	0.21 (−4.67–7.2)	1.1 (−2.1–5.51)
PLVVC on T2-FLAIR^{^c}	n = 554	n = 291	n = 263	.007
PLVVC on T2-FLAIR^{^c}	0.51 (−3.95–6.01)	−0.31 (−6.4–6.9)	1.13 (−2.15–5.53)

↵a PBVC and PLVVC on 2D-, 3D-T1WI and T2-FLAIR were obtained in patients with software/coil/protocol scanner changes. All values in the table are presented as the number of patients for a particular analysis, median, and interquartile range. The longitudinal follow-up values are annualized.
↵b P values represent patients with MS with and without MRI changes during the follow-up group comparisons and were derived using analysis of covariance adjusted for age, sex, days between index and postindex, and baseline volume as appropriate.
↵c PLVVC on T2-FLAIR was performed in patients with hardware/software/coil/protocol changes.