To examine associations of specific imaging and serum biomarkers with cognition and fatigue in a cohort of stable RRMS patients, and to evaluate the effectiveness of EDSS compared to MRI and serum biomarkers.
Key Findings:
Cognitive impairment and fatigue are prevalent in MS, affecting 34-65% and up to 95% of patients, respectively, with significant implications for patient quality of life.
EDSS primarily reflects physical disability and has limited representation of cognitive and fatigue domains, suggesting a need for alternative assessment methods.
MRI volumetric measures, particularly of deep grey matter, correlate with cognitive performance, indicating their potential as reliable biomarkers.
sNfL and sGFAP show limited predictive value for cognition and fatigue in stable MS patients, highlighting the need for further investigation.
Interpretation:
MRI assessments, particularly volumetric measures, provide better insights into cognitive function and fatigue in stable MS patients than serum biomarkers like sNfL and sGFAP.
Limitations:
The study is monocentric and retrospective, which may limit generalizability to broader MS populations.
The sample size for biomarker analysis was small (33 participants), potentially affecting the robustness of the findings.
Exclusion criteria may limit the applicability of findings to broader MS populations, necessitating caution in interpretation.
Conclusion:
MRI and EDSS assessments are more effective than serum biomarkers in evaluating cognitive function and fatigue in stable MS patients, underscoring the need for further research into reliable biomarkers and their clinical applications.
