Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to Evaluate Activity of Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Recruiting

• Conditions: Multiple Sclerosis

• Registration Number: NCT00001248
• Lead Sponsor: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

Brief Summary

Studies performed under 89-N-0045 are designed to examine the natural history of multiple sclerosis (MS) using MRI and immunological measures. In addition to studying the natural history of untreated patients, the natural history of patients receiving approved disease-modifying therapies of MS will be examined. In both cohorts of patients levels of disease activity on MRI will be compared with immunological characteristics in order to help identify disease mechanism. Patients with either definite MS (based either on clinical or combined clinical and MRI criteria) or with an initial presentation of neurological dysfunction consistent with MS will be studied longitudinally by MRI. Disease activity on MRI will be assessed using several MRI measures of disease activity including the number of contrast enhancing lesions, the overall burden of disease, brain atrophy and measures to assess axonal damage. Patients will be assessed clinically and correlations between immunological and genetic factors and disease activity as seen clinically or by MRI will be studied.

A second cohort of patients starting the use of approved therapy will also be examined. Patients referred to NIH prior to beginning approved therapy will be assessed with a series of three monthly MRIs to determine the level of pretreatment disease activity. After beginning approved therapy under the direction of their private physician, patients will be followed similarly to the natural history cohort. Immunological and genetic findings will be accessed before and during therapy in order to help establish the mechanisms of action of the therapies and to identify mechanisms accounting for either a response or lack of response to therapy. Part of the collected samples willl be cryopreserved to provide respository for further studies focusing on detection of biomarkers indicative of disease state, disease stage or repsonse to therapies.

Additionally, a cohort of normal volunteers will be studied. The studies in the normal volunteers will be used to establish the most appropriate imaging sequences for studying normal white matter in MS patients using magnetization transfer (MT) imaging sequences for studying normal white matter in MS patients using magnetization transfer (MT) imaging and to provide normative immunological measures.

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Detailed Description

Study Description:

This study is primarily designed to examine the evolving natural history of multiple sclerosis (MS) and its mimickers, viewed through the window of neuroimaging (especially magnetic resonance imaging or MRI). After required baseline evaluation, follow-up study timepoints are driven by clinical standard-of-care, and data from clinically driven procedures may be analyzed for research. Optional research procedures may also be performed during these visits. Optional research-only visits may be scheduled to further investigate findings from the clinical visits. The same research procedures may be performed in healthy volunteers to assess whether the research findings are specific to the affected participant group.

Objectives:

To describe the evolving natural history of MS, viewed clinically, radiologically, and biologically, both prior to and after the introduction of increasingly effective disease modifying therapies (DMT). The protocol has three other important objectives: (1) screening prospective participants for selected NINDS Neuroimmunology Clinic trials; (2) studying healthy volunteers for comparison with affected participants and for development of new experimental technologies; and (3) comparing MS to other neurological diseases that share imaging or clinical features.

Endpoints:

The primary endpoint is the rate of change in the number of new white matter lesions per participant, indexed by the date of baseline evaluation.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 1992-07-23
• Study First Submitted: 1999-11-03
• Study First Submitted QC: 1999-11-03
• Study First Posted: 1999-11-04
• Status Verified: 2025-03-25
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-05-17
• Last Update Posted: 2025-05-20

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 2500

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
the rate of change in the number of new white matter lesions per participant	baseline vs. follow up visits	The primary outcome, which is designed to determine how MS disease activity has changed with the advent of ever-more-effective disease-modifying therapy, is the rate of change in the number of new white matter lesions per participant, indexed by the date of baseline evaluation.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

National Institutes of Health Clinical Center; 🇺🇸 Bethesda, Maryland, United States