CP volume was increased in both active RMS and inactive PMS and was associated with lower total and cortical brain volumes, suggesting CP volume may reflect processes beyond MS-specific pathology, including physiological factors.
Abstract
Background
Growing evidence supports choroid plexus (CP) involvement in MS pathophysiology, but phase-specific associations according to recent inflammatory activity and longitudinal dynamics remain unclear.
Objective
To characterize CP alterations in MS using volumetric and quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and explore associations with neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration.
Methods
We analyzed cross-sectional and 2-year longitudinal data from 101 patients with active relapsing MS (RMS), 83 with inactive progressive MS (PMS), and 100 controls, with MS groups stratified by inflammatory activity within the prior year. CP volume, quantitative T1, and magnetization transfer saturation (MTsat) were assessed alongside imaging, serum, and clinical measures, with validation in a second cohort (62 active/357 inactive MS).
Results
CP volume was increased in both active RMS and inactive PMS and was associated with lower total and cortical brain volumes. Associations with brain microstructural damage were more pronounced in periventricular regions, compatible with a surface-in pattern. Similar associations were observed in controls, suggesting CP volume may reflect processes beyond MS-specific pathology, including physiological factors. Longitudinally, CP volume increased exclusively in active RMS, with faster expansion associated with thalamic atrophy. CP MTsat was associated with cortical and paramagnetic rim lesions in inactive PMS.
Conclusion
CP enlargement is consistent across MS phases. Longitudinal expansion occurs in active inflammatory disease and is associated with neurodegenerative changes.
Standardized acquisition and segmentation, harmonized cognitive assessment, and adequately powered longitudinal studies are needed to establish their independent and predictive value for choroid plexus volume, as the evidence remains limited and methodologically heterogeneous.
Weronika Galus, Patrycja Romaniszyn-Kania, Aleksandra Urantówka et al.· Brain Science· 0 citations
ABSTRACT Choroid plexus volume (CPV) has been proposed as a neuro‐immunological marker of multiple sclerosis (MS), but its relevance in myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody–associated disease (MOGAD) remains uncertain. We analyzed CPV in 43 individuals with MOGAD, 48 with MS, and 44 healthy controls using a Bayesian Gaussian mixture modeling applied to 3D‐T1‐weighted‐MRI. Total intracranial volume‐normalized CPV did not differ between MOGAD and healthy controls, whereas the MS demonstrated significantly higher values than both groups (p < 0.001) and showed associations with clinical disability. These findings suggest relative preservation of CPV in MOGAD and support a closer association of CPV enlargement with disease‐related structural changes in MS than in MOGAD.
Jae-Won Hyun, Shaun G. Hong, N. Park et al.· Annals of Clinical and Trans...· 0 citations
These findings link CP enlargement to neuropathologically confirmed AD burden and CI, supporting further investigation of CP structure and function in AD.
Francis A Fernandes, Avyarthana Dey, Andy Ma et al.· The journal of prevention of...· 0 citations
Background Lipid dysregulation and myelin breakdown are hallmark features of multiple sclerosis (MS), yet current noninvasive biomarkers have limited sensitivity for detecting both focal demyelination and diffuse microstructural injury. We evaluated transient nuclear Overhauser effect (tNOE) MRI, a lipid-sensitive imaging technique, for mapping myelin-related alterations in MS. Methods tNOE-MRI was performed in four MS patients and four healthy controls using a 7T scanner equipped with a 32-channel receive phased-array coil. Scan reproducibility was assessed across repeated sessions, and tNOE signal patterns were analyzed in major white-matter regions, including corpuscallosum and internal-capsule. Results tNOE maps demonstrated strong contrast in highly myelinated structures, like splenium of corpuscallosum and internal-capsule. Inter-day and intra-day coefficients of variation were < 5%, indicating high measurement consistency. Quantitative analysis revealed that MS patients had significantly lower tNOE contrast in white-matter (12.6%vs16.1%) and grey-matter (5.9%vs7.2%) compared to healthy controls. The splenium exhibited the greatest tNOE reduction (~ 36%) in MS. Discussion Reduced tNOE contrast corresponded with known regional differences in myelin density and suggests sensitivity to myelin-integrity. Lower tNOE signals in both white and gray matter indicate diffuse tissue alterations beyond focal lesions. With an acquisition time of ~ 3 minutes, tNOE-MRI shows promise as a rapid biomarker for MS diagnosis.
Blake Benyard, Dushyant Kumar, Neil E. Wilson et al.· Research Square· 0 citations
Background Disturbances in brain fluid homeostasis are increasingly implicated in neurodegeneration. Imaging measures of structural alterations of the choroid plexus (CP) and impaired glymphatic transport have each been associated with cognitive decline, yet their potential interaction in humans remains poorly understood. Methods We investigated the relationship between CP volume, glymphatic diffusion, and cognitive performance in 100 memory clinic patients. Diffusion tensor imaging analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) was used as an imaging proxy of glymphatic diffusion, and CP volume and WMH volume were derived from structural MRI using FastSurfer segmentation. Multivariable linear regression models examined associations between CP volume, ALPS index, and global cognitive performance measured by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Models were adjusted for age, sex, education, APOE ε4 status, WMH burden and plasma phosphorylated tau (pTau217). Interaction terms tested whether CP structure and glymphatic diffusion jointly influenced cognition. Results Larger CP volume was associated with lower ALPS index after adjustment for demographic and molecular covariates (β = −282.19, p = 0.015). CP volume and ALPS index were not independently associated with MoCA scores; however, a significant interaction between CP volume and ALPS index was observed (β = −13,299.09, p = 0.036). The association between CP volume and cognitive performance depended on DTI-ALPS, such that larger CP volumes were associated with poorer MoCA scores at higher ALPS values, whereas CP volume showed little association with cognition at lower ALPS values. This interaction improved model fit compared with main-effects models (R2 = 0.31). The findings remained significant after adjusting for CSF volume and were replicated using MMSE as the outcome. Plasma pTau217 levels were strongly associated with worse cognition but did not significantly modify the CP-ALPS interaction. Conclusion CP enlargement is associated with glymphatic diffusion, and its relationship with cognitive performance varies across DTI-ALPS index values. These findings suggest that interactions between CSF regulatory systems may correlate with cognitive performance in a state-dependent manner. Notably, higher ALPS values in individuals with enlarged CP may reflect compensatory or altered perivascular fluid dynamics rather than preserved glymphatic function, highlighting the complexity of interpreting diffusion-based markers of brain clearance.
N. Tan, T. Welton, Yi Jayne Tan et al.· Frontiers in Aging Neuroscie...· 0 citations
Background Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by inflammation, demyelination and axonal degeneration of the central nervous system. Whether these pathological changes impact neurovascular coupling (NVC), which can be compromised in various neurodegenerative disorders, remains unclear in MS. Objectives To investigate the relationship between NVC, clinical characteristics and neuroimaging measures in patients with MS. Design We conducted a cross-sectional study of patients with MS recruited from the Comprehensive Multiple Sclerosis Clinic at Northwestern Medicine, Chicago, USA. Methods Seventy-six patients with MS underwent NVC assessment using transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) and posterior cerebral artery (PCA) territories. Clinical assessment included manual dexterity, cognitive function and gait. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) quantified white matter hyperintensity (WMH), gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volumes. Associations were examined using multivariate linear regression, adjusting for demographic and vascular risk factors, and stratified by disability and cognitive performance. Results Higher NVC in the PCA territory correlated with lower WMH burden (r=−0.32, p=0.02), particularly in patients with lower disability (Expanded Disability Status Scale <2). This association remained significant after adjustment (β=−0.071, 95% CI [−0.135, −0.007], p=0.031). Higher NVC PCA was also associated with lower WMH in patients with better executive (β=−0.104, 95% CI [−0.176, −0.033], p=0.007) and global cognitive scores (β=−0.116, 95% CI [−0.222, −0.009], p=0.035). No association was found with GM volume. Conclusion Preserved PCA neurovascular function is associated with lower WM lesion burden, measured using conventional MRI, in MS patients with lower disability and better cognition, a finding that may inform risk stratification and guide future therapeutic targets.
C. Duque, J. Sargento-Freitas, Roumen Balabanov et al.· Therapeutic Advances in Neur...· 0 citations
We use cookies to run the site and, with your consent, for analytics and to show ads.
See our Cookie Policy.
