Purpose. Quality of life (QoL) is an important measure of the burden of disease and could be useful in evaluating patient management and practical interventions. The aim of this study was to explore the association of psychological and clinical variables with QoL in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods. One hundred and fourteen consecutive patients (mean age 36.1 ± 10.3 years, 72%% female) from one MS centre completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Fatigue Severity Scale and the Short-Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36). Functional disability was assessed using the Expanded Disability Status Scale. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to analyse demographic, psychological and clinical data. Results. Functional disability, depression and fatigue were found to be related inversely to the physical health subscale. Disease course, anxiety and depression were associated negatively with the mental health subscale. Conclusions. Functional disability, depression and fatigue were the main variables related to the perceived physical health subscale, and disease course, anxiety and depression to the perceived mental health subscale in the group of patients with MS. Thus, effective treatment of fatigue, anxiety and depression could be assumed to increase a patient's QoL.

We report a 38-year-old woman with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, treated with subcutaneous injections of interferon beta (IFN-beta)-1b every other day. Disseminated cutaneous lesions were observed after 3 injections. These symptoms reappeared after drug readministration. The histopathological examination of the skin specimens confirmed nonspecific cutaneous lymphocytic vasculitis. The patient's outcome was favorable after corticosteroid placement and discontinuing IFN-beta therapy. Isolated lymphocytic cutaneous vasculitis linked to IFN-beta-1b therapy is suspected as a new association.

Purpose: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disorder with a variable course. The aim of our study was to find out whether cognitive event-related potentials are prognostic for patient disability at the 15-year follow-up. Methods: In the observed cohort of patients with MS, we examined the event-related potentials at baseline (2003). Functional status (Expanded Disability Status Scale score) was then assessed 15 years later, and the prognostic model was developed using binary logistic regression analysis. The independent variables included demographic (age, sex, and education), clinical (disability in 2003), radiologic (MRI lesion load), and event-related potentials parameters. The prognostic accuracy of the proposed model was evaluated by calculating the area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve. Results: The study sample consisted of 85 patients with MS. The mean age was 35.5 (SD, 11.2) years, and the median disability score was 3.0 (1–7) in 2003 and 5.0 (1.5–9.5) in 2018. The significant prognostic factors of poor Expanded Disability Status Scale are higher baseline Expanded Disability Status Scale, longer MS duration, and prolonged P300 latency. The sensitivity and specificity of the cutoff at 5.0 for the disability score were 94% and 89%, respectively, with the area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve 0.94 (95% confidence interval, 0.889–0.984; P < 0.001). Conclusions: The results show that out of event-related potentials, the P300 wave latency is a prognostic of long-term disability progression in patients with MS.

: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSDs) are a group of rare, inflammatory, demyelinating diseases that affect the central nervous system. Neither the incidence nor the prevalence of NMOS...

Background and Objectives: Neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a sensitive biomarker of neuroaxonal damage. This study aimed to assess the relationship between the annual change in plasma NfL (pNfL) and disease activity in the past year, as defined by the concept no evidence of disease activity (NEDA) in a cohort of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Materials and Methods: Levels of pNfL (SIMOA) were examined in 141 MS patients and analyzed in relationship to the NEDA-3 status (absence of relapse, disability worsening, and MRI activity) and NEDA-4 (NEDA-3 extended by brain volume loss ≤ 0.4%) during the last 12 months. Patients were divided into two groups: annual pNfL change with an increase of less than 10% (group 1), and pNfL increases of more than 10% (group 2). Results: The mean age of the study participants (n = 141, 61% females) was 42.33 years (SD, 10.17), and the median disability score was 4.0 (3.5–5.0). The ROC analysis showed that a pNfL annual change ≥ 10% correlates with the absence of the NEDA-3 status (p < 0.001; AUC: 0.92), and the absence of the NEDA-4 status (p < 0.001; AUC: 0.839). Conclusions: Annual plasma NfL increases of more than 10% appear to be a useful tool for assessing disease activity in treated MS patients.

Background: Retinal microvascular changes may serve as biomarkers for disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS). This study evaluated macular and peripapillary vascular plexus densities using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in patients with relapsing MS (RMS) and healthy controls (HCs), exploring their association with disease activity based on the NEDA-3 concept. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 117 RMS patients and 37 HCs underwent OCTA imaging. Parameters analyzed included superficial vascular plexus (SVP), deep vascular plexus (DVP), foveal avascular zone (FAZ), and radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) density. Images with artifacts were excluded. Associations between OCTA metrics and demographic, clinical, and MRI volumetrics, as well as NEDA-3 status, were evaluated using multivariate generalized estimating equations. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves assessed predictive capacity. Results: Compared to HCs, MS eyes with prior optic neuritis showed significantly lower SVP density (p < 0.05). DVP and FAZ parameters did not differ between groups. SVP and DVP densities correlated with age, disease duration, relapse history, and MRI volumetrics, including gray matter and whole brain volume. SVP density predicted NEDA-3 status (AUC = 0.82), while DVP also showed predictive value (AUC = 0.64). FAZ FD (Foveal density) was associated with gray matter and whole brain atrophy (AUC = 0.62–0.61). Conclusions: Retinal vascular alterations correlate with clinical and MRI measures in MS. Reduced SVP and DVP densities may serve as markers of recent disease activity, and FAZ metrics reflect neurodegeneration. OCTA may be a valuable non-invasive tool for monitoring MS progression.