Lesion Location Matters

A 10 year study suggests that the location of T2 brain lesions is an important contributor to the progression of disability in primary progressive MS (PPMS).

The prediction of the long-term clinical outcome in people with PPMS remains challenging, with major clinical implications in providing advice to individual patients.

Eighty patients with PPMS were followed over ten years with MRI scans taken after 0, 1, 2, 5 and 10 years. Whole brain T2 lesion load was measured as an objective sign of tissue damage.

Researchers found the location of T2 lesions early in the disease is independently associated with the rate of progression in PPMS over a ten year period. The study also reinforced previous results that suggest that a proportion of all the lesions in the brain are ‘clinically silent’, that is they don’t produce visible symptoms.

Unfortunately, there are still no proven therapies for the treatment of PPMS. However, studies like this elucidate the biological mechanisms that drive disease course and suggest a direction for further research to develop efficacious treatments.

The full article is freely available here