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Abstract #2062

Pathological substrate of MRI-derived cortical atrophy in multiple sclerosis

Veronica Popescu 1 , Roel Klaver 2 , Yvon Galis-de Graaf 2 , Pieter Voorn 2 , Dirk Knol 3 , Adriaan Versteeg 1 , Geert Schenk 2 , Frederik Barkhof 1 , Helga E De Vries 4 , Hugo Vrenken 1,5 , and Jeroen JG Geurts 2

1 Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2 Anatomy and Neurosciences, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 3 Epidemiology and Biostatistics, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 4 Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 5 Physics and Medical Technology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands

In multiple sclerosis grey matter becomes atrophic. Atrophy correlates with disability and cognitive impairment. It is unknown which tissue component causes this atrophy. In a combined post-mortem MRI-histopathology study, five anatomical regions were systematically sampled from 11 brain donors with MS. After generalized estimating equations with false discovery rate correction two predictors survived: axonal density in the superior frontal gyrus and astrocytes numbers in the inferior frontal gyrus. Cortical atrophy seems predominantly driven by neuropilema changes and gliosis, and not by inflammation or demyelination. This points towards the need to intensify the search for neuroprotective medication in MS.

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