Basal ganglia atrophy as a marker of multiple sclerosis progression

This study presents the findings of the magnetic resonance morphometric analysis of brain subcortical structures in patients with remitting relapsing multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) phenotypes in comparison with the control group. The study revealed significant differences between the volume of the left nucleus accumbens [control:RRMS= 570,108 ± 100,024:487,851 ± 124,174; F(p) ANOVA= <0001] and the volume of the left globus pallidus [control:RRMS= 2076,247 ± 290,695: 1855,851 ± 280,476; F(p) ANOVA= <0001] in patients with the relapsing remitting phenotype. Patients with the secondary progressive phenotype showed a statistically valid decrease in volume for multiple subcortical structures: the left caudate nucleus [control:SPMS= 3686,500 ± 501,966:3108,946 ± 565,138; F(p) ANOVA= 0.001], right caudate nucleus [control:SPMS= 3772,550 ± 508,087:3242,292 ± 650,215; F(p) ANOVA= 0003], left putamen [control:SPMS= 5130,781 ± 547,844: 4164,967 ± 1076,993; F(p) ANOVA= <0001], right putamen [control:SPMS= 5096,303 ± 611,397: 4281,046 ± 1100,752; F(p) ANOVA= 0001], left globus pallidus [control:SPMS= 2076,247 ± 290.696:1800,913 ± 296,609; F(p) ANOVA= <0001], left nucleus accumbens [control:SPMS= 570,108 ± 100,024;458,904 ± 131,690; F(p) ANOVA= 0001], right nucleus accumbens [control:SPMS= 587,567 ± 100,542: 447,375 ± 103,687; F(p) ANOVA= <0001]. The increase in EDSS was significantly correlated with the decrease in right nucleus accumbens in both RRMS and SPMS. The investigation revealed potential subcortex structures (nucleus accumbens) that could be considered as markers for the transition of RRMS to SPMS.