Longitudinal Investigation of Cortical Demyelination and Meningeal Inflammation in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders

In this protocol, a combination of MRI, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis will be used to understand the natural history, underlying immunologic mechanisms, and clinical implications of central nervous system (CNS) lesions, in particular lesions in the cerebral cortex, in multiple sclerosis (MS) and other inflammatory and autoimmune disorders affecting the CNS. Patients with these disorders, as well as healthy controls, will undergo baseline clinical evaluation and testing, bloodwork, and MRI, with follow up clinical evaluation, bloodwork, and MRI at years 1, 3, and 6. Additional MRIs may be performed in patients with possible new lesion formation or to compare MRI techniques. Lumbar puncture will be performed on participants who are not currently being treated with disease modifying therapies and who are willing to undergo the procedure.