Brain atrophy has been reported in multiple sclerosis (MS). We addressed the question of GM and WM tissue loss in a large population of 597 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) compared with 104 control subjects using a fully automated, operator-independent, multiparametric segmentation method. Significant differences between patients with MS and control subjects included reduced fWM and fGM. MRI data showed significant differences between patients with relapsing–remitting and secondary progressive forms of MS: secondary progressive patients have significantly more atrophy of both WM and GM than do relapsing–remitting patients and a significantly higher lesion load. Significant correlations between MRI parameters and between MRI and clinical data were found.
Moreover we addressed the question of if and where GM loss is localized by means of optimized Voxel-Based Morphometry applied to MRI studies of 51 patients with clinically defined Relapsing-Remitting MS and 34 age-matched normal subjects.
In RR-MS patients, GM volume was significantly decreased at the level of the left fronto-temporal cortex and precuneus, as well as of anterior cingulate gyrus and of caudate nuclei bilaterally. The only cortical region of significant GM loss in the right hemisphere was located in the postcentral area.
Our findings suggest that in RR-MS cortical GM reduction preferentially involves left fronto-temporal structures and deep GM, the latter correlating preferentially to global lesion load
