Comparative Brain and Spinal Imaging in MS, NMO and MOG-Ab Disease

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Comparative Study of Brain and Spinal Cord MRI in Aquaporin 4-positive Neuromyelitis Optica, Multiple Sclerosis and MOG-antibody Associated Disease.

• IRAS ID

  206152

• Contact name

  Jacqueline Palace

• Contact email

  jacqueline.palace@ndcn.ox.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Oxford

• Duration of Study in the UK

  1 years, 5 months, 1 days

• Research summary

  Research Summary

  Neuro-Myelitis Optica (NMO), Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and MOG-antibody disease are neurological conditions that lead to disability by causing inflammation in the brain and spinal cord.

  They present in similar ways and were previously considered to be a spectrum of one entity. However, research now suggests that each should be considered as a separate condition with regard to pathogenesis, management and prognosis.

  We will define participants based on the following:
  - NMO patients are those with a positive AQP4 antibody blood test
  - MOG-antibody disease patients are those with a positive MOG antibody blood test
  - MS patients are those who fit the relevant diagnostic criteria; and if tested, their antibody results should both be negative
  - Healthy controls

  All participants recruited will be adults who are able to give consent. We will ask that each participant agree to an MRI scan. This will either be of their brain, spinal cord or both (if both, this can be done on one day with a break between or on two different days). The participant will select the option they are willing to consent to.

  Each individual scan will require one hour in the MRI machine and will be done at the Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB).

  We will obtain structural (anatomical characteristics) and functional (physiological changes) MRI data on all participants.

  Using this data we will then do the following:
  - Compare with previous scans (from a study conducted by Dr Lucy Matthews) to obtain longitudinal information about the conditions
  - Use novel MRI techniques to gain a better understanding of the disease at the site of the lesions and in the normal appearing tissue
  - Correlate the MRI findings with the patient’s signs and symptoms
  - Correlate brain MRI findings with optical coherence tomography (OCT)

  Summary of Results

  This MRI-clinical study compares three inflammatory conditions, namely Multiple Sclerosis, Neuromyelitis Optica associated with aquaporin-4 antibodies (NMOSD-AQP4), and myelin oligodendrocytes glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD). We found that in MOGAD, similarly to MS, the central grey matter (a structure involved in movement and cognition), is reduced in size, and is associated with an impaired cognitive function. We also found that, despite the presence of white matter abnormalities during the acute attack, the white matter is not damaged in MOGAD, when using more sophisticated MRI sequences. We also found that, in the spinal cord, the presence of a previous lesion, can cause a reduction in the size of the grey matter.

• REC name

  East of England - Cambridge South Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  17/EE/0246

• Date of REC Opinion

  17 Jul 2017

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion