CORD-MS: advanced quantitative spinal cord MRI in MS v1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
CORD-MS: Quantitative spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of demyelination and neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS)
IRAS ID
346955
Contact name
Adam Waldman
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Edinburgh
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN17412521
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease where inflammation causes damage to myelin and axons in nerves, in the brain and spinal cord, which ultimately leads to disability. How MS progresses over time differs greatly between individuals, and we cannot currently predict how severely someone will be affected. Measurements (or ‘markers’) of nerve damage are needed to help predict a person’s future disease course and make better treatment decisions. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can provide such markers. Volume measurements from standard MRI can determine nerve tissue shrinkage rates (‘atrophy'), and specialised ‘microstructural’ MRI can provide more specific measures of the condition of axons and myelin in nerves. Although MS affects both brain and spinal cord, nerve damage in MS has been mostly studied in the brain. We know less about nerve damage in the spinal cord, although it is strongly linked to disability. Additionally, previous research has mainly focused on nerve damage in the upper part of the spinal cord and not specifically explored cord damage in early stages of MS.
The aim of our pilot study is to implement and test standard and specialised MRI methods along the full length of the spinal cord in a small group of people recently-diagnosed with MS. This will provide crucial initial data and refine techniques to support a larger study on early-stage spinal cord nerve damage in MS. The ultimate goal is to support development of better treatments for people with MS by 1) using standard MRI scans to create basic measurements of spinal cord volume, which can help doctors better understand and treat cord damage, and 2) using specialised MRI scans to measure cord health in more detail, which could lead to better treatments specifically focusing on nerve damage in MS.REC name
London - Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/PR/0279
Date of REC Opinion
3 Jun 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion