Regional Distribution and Evolution of Gray Matter Damage in Different Populations of Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Background Both gray-matter (GM) atrophy and lesions occur from the earliest stages of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and are one of the major determinants of long-term clinical outcomes. Nevertheless, the relationship between focal and diffuse GM damage has not been clarified yet. Here we investigate the regional distribution and temporal evolution of cortical thinning and how it is influenced by the local appearance of new GM lesions at different stages of the disease in different populations of MS patients. Methods We studied twenty MS patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), 27 with early relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS, disease duration <5 years), 29 with late RRMS (disease duration >= 5 years) and 20 with secondary-progressive MS (SPMS). The distribution and evolution of regional cortical thickness and GM lesions were assessed during 5-year follow-up. Results The results showed that new lesions appeared more frequently in hippocampus and para-hippocampal gyri (9.1%), insula (8.9%), cingulate cortex (8.3%), superior frontal gyrus (8.1%), and cerebellum (6.5%). The aforementioned regions showed the greatest reduction in thickness/volume, although (several) differences were observed across subgroups. The correlation between the appearance of new cortical lesions and cortical thinning was stronger in CIS (r(2) = 50.0, p<0.001) and in early RRMS (r(2) = 52.3, p<0.001), compared to late RRMS (r(2) = 25.5, p<0.001) and SPMS (r(2) = 6.3, p = 0.133). Conclusions We conclude that GM atrophy and lesions appear to be different signatures of cortical disease in MS having in common overlapping spatio-temporal distribution patterns. However, the correlation between focal and diffuse damage is only moderate and more evident in the early phase of the disease.