Table 4

Clinical characteristics and brain volumes at MRI-1 and MRI-2 and the annualised atrophy rate in patients with AQP4+NMOSD and MS without clinical relapses and disability progression between MRI-1 and MRI-2

AQP4+NMOSD (n=27)RRMS (n=45)p value
ΔEDSS (MRI-2 – MRI-1)0.0 (0.0) (–2.0–0.5)0.0 (0.0) (–3.0–1.0)0.83
Years from MRI-1 to MRI-23.0 (2.3) (1.0–6.3)2.0 (1.8) (1.0–5.1)0.12
At MRI-1
 ICV*10-3 (mL)1.3 (0.12) (1.2–1.5)1.4 (0.13) (1.2–1.7)0.018*
 NLV (mL)0.96 (4.5) (0.0–33.2)7.1 (12.9) (0.45–46.7)<0.001*
 NGV*10-3 (mL)0.44 (0.047) (0.32–0.49)0.44 (0.067) (0.32–0.50)0.97
 NWV*10-3 (mL)0.31 (0.029) (0.24–0.33)0.29 (0.028) (0.25–0.33)0.001*
 NBV*10-3 (mL)0.75 (0.077) (0.62–0.81)0.72 (0.086) (0.59–0.80)0.19
At MRI-2
 ICV*10-3 (mL)1.3 (0.12) (1.2–1.5)1.4 (0.14) (1.2–1.7)0.056
 NLV (mL)1.7 (8.7) (0.0–141)8.0 (11.8) (0.0–187)0.026*
 NGV*10-3 (mL)0.43 (0.061) (0.31–0.49)0.42 (0.063) (0.33–0.50)0.95
 NWV*10-3 (mL)0.31 (0.028) (0.22–0.34)0.29 (0.028) (0.24–0.38)0.001*
 NBV*10-3 (mL)0.75 (0.078) (0.60–0.80)0.71 (0.094) (0.58–0.80)0.21
Annualised atrophy rate
 NGV (%)0.69 (1.2) (–1.7–3.0)0.60 (1.7) (–2.5–4.5)0.69
 NWV (%)0.16 (1.2) (–0.62–1.1)0.19 (1.9) (–3.2–6.3)0.81
 NBV (%)0.50 (0.75) (–0.20–0.77)0.42 (0.85) (–1.3–3.4)0.73

  • Data are presented as median number (%) or (IQR) (range). *p<0.05.

  • Annualised atrophy rate of X is defined as follows: Embedded Image, X= NGV, NWV or NBV.

  • ΔEDSS=EDSS at MRI-2 minus EDSS at MRI-1.

  • AQP4+NMOSD, anti-aquaporin-4 antibody-positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder disease; EDSS, Kurtzke’s Expanded Disability Status Scale; ICV, intracranial volume; NBV, normalised brain volume; NGV, normalised grey matter volume; NLV, normalised lesion volume; NWV, normalised white matter volume.