Dynamics of grey matter & white matter pathology in multiple sclerosis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The dynamics and clinical relevance of grey matter and periventricular white matter pathology in multiple sclerosis
IRAS ID
310565
Contact name
Declan T Chard
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
About 130,000 people in the UK have multiple sclerosis (MS) and, other than head injuries, it is the commonest cause of neurological disability in young adults. MS is highly variable and unpredictable: some people with MS develop few neurological problems over decades, while others develop significant progressive disability. Overall, it is thought that the loss of nerve cells determines irreversible disability in MS, but we do not know what the main cause of nerve cell damage is. On magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans the most obvious sign of MS is the presence of lesions in brain white matter, and nearly all people with MS have an MRI scan looking for these lesions to help establish a diagnosis. However, these lesions appear to explain only a small amount of overall disability and nerve damage due to MS.
About a decade ago we undertook a research study investigating grey matter (the part of the brain which contains nerve cells) abnormalities in MS. The study provided much needed insights into previously overlooked aspects of MS, and in particular highlighted that grey matter changes in some people with MS could be substantial and associated with neurological function, memory and thinking. Practically, it has led to at least one new MRI method being used in trials of treatments for MS.
Building on our previous study, we now aim to see if any of the MRI scan measures we previously looked at can predict how people with MS are now, and how these MRI features have changed over a decade. We hope that this work will help us to identify targets for treatment long before they have had a chance to cause disability.
REC name
London - Queen Square Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/PR/0410
Date of REC Opinion
24 May 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion