Higher longitudinal brain white matter atrophy rate in aquaporin-4 IgG-positive NMOSD compared with healthy controls

Sci Rep. 2023 Aug 3;13(1):12631. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-38893-1.

Abstract

We aimed to compare longitudinal brain atrophy in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) with healthy controls (HCs). The atrophy rate in patients with anti-aquaporin-4 antibody-positive NMOSD (AQP4 + NMOSD) was compared with age-sex-matched HCs recruited from the Japanese Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative study and another study performed at Chiba University. Twenty-nine patients with AQP4 + NMOSD and 29 HCs were enrolled in the study. The time between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans was longer in the AQP4 + NMOSD group compared with the HCs (median; 3.2 vs. 2.9 years, P = 0.009). The annualized normalized white matter volume (NWV) atrophy rate was higher in the AQP4 + NMOSD group compared with the HCs (median; 0.37 vs. - 0.14, P = 0.018). The maximum spinal cord lesion length negatively correlated with NWV at baseline MRI in patients with AQP4 + NMOSD (Spearman's rho = - 0.41, P = 0.027). The annualized NWV atrophy rate negatively correlated with the time between initiation of persistent prednisolone usage and baseline MRI in patients with AQP4 + NMOSD (Spearman's rho = - 0.43, P = 0.019). Patients with AQP4 + NMOSD had a greater annualized NWV atrophy rate than HCs. Suppressing disease activity may prevent brain atrophy in patients with AQP4 + NMOSD.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aquaporin 4
  • Atrophy
  • Autoantibodies
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Myelin-Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein
  • Neuromyelitis Optica* / diagnostic imaging
  • Retrospective Studies
  • White Matter* / diagnostic imaging

Substances

  • Autoantibodies
  • Aquaporin 4
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Myelin-Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein