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Therapies’ Effect on Brain Volume Change

PLoS One; 2016 Mar 16; Branger, Parienti, et al

Publish date:: March 29, 2016

Second-line disease-modifying drugs (SLDMDs) were associated with reduced percentage brain volume change (PBVC) slope over time in relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), regardless of the period considered. This according to meta-analysis of data from 35 studies involving 18,140 patients with RRMS. Researchers found:

• Atrophy was greater with the use of a first-line disease-modifying drug (FLDMD) vs an SLDMD at 24 months (−0.86 primary endpoint mean difference).

• Based on linear regression analysis, annual PBVC differed significantly between SLDMDs (−0.27%/year) and placebo (−0.50%/y), but not between FLDMDs (−0.33%/y) and placebo or between FLDMDs and SLDMDs.

• Based on sensitivity analysis, the annual PBVC was reduced for SLDMDs (−0.14%/y) vs placebo (−0.56%/y) and FLDMDs (−0.46%/y), but no difference was seen between FLDMDs and placebo.

Citation: Branger P, Parienti JJ, Sormani MP, Defer G. The effect of disease-modifying drugs on brain atrophy in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: A meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2016 Mar;11(3):e0149685. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0149685.

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