Table 6

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

AQP4+NMOSD (n=20)RRMS (n=20)p value
ΔEDSS (MRI-2 – MRI-1)0.0 (0.0) (-2.0–0.5)0.0 (0.38) (-0.5 to 0.5)0.69
Years from MRI-1 to MRI-23.1 (3.0) (1.0–6.3)2.0 (1.8) (1.0–5.1)0.27
At MRI-1
 ICV*10-3 (mL)1.3 (0.12) (1.2–1.5)1.4 (0.18) (1.2–1.7)0.12
 NLV (mL)1.7 (4.4) (0.0–33.2)11.1 (12.6) (1.8–46.7)<0.001*
 NGV*10-3 (mL)0.44 (0.037) (0.39–0.49)0.41 (0.059) (0.32–0.49)0.006*
 NWV*10-3 (mL)0.31 (0.027) (0.24–0.33)0.29 (0.031) (0.25–0.33)0.002*
 NBV*10-3 (mL)0.75 (0.055) (0.66–0.81)0.69 (0.062) (0.59–0.80)0.001*
At MRI-2
 ICV*10-3 (mL)1.3 (0.12) (1.2–1.5)1.4 (0.18) (1.2–1.7)0.17
 NLV (mL)2.8 (8.3) (0.0–81.0)12.6 (17.0) (2.1–187)0.001*
 NGV*10-3 (mL)0.44 (0.045) (0.37–0.49)0.41 (0.054) (0.33–0.46)0.004*
 NWV*10-3 (mL)0.31 (0.027) (0.22–0.33)0.29 (0.035) (0.25–0.34)0.010*
 NBV*10-3 (mL)0.76 (0.067) (0.64–0.80)0.68 (0.067) (0.58–0.78)0.003*
Annualised atrophy rate
 NGV (%)0.68 (0.76) (−1.7 to 2.6)0.76 (1.6) (−2.5 to 4.5)0.82
 NWV (%)0.26 (0.79) (−1.4 to 4.2)−0.087 (2.1) (−2.1 to 1.9)0.2
 NBV (%)0.50 (0.69) (−0.20 to 2.1)0.44 (0.63) (−0.75 to 1.8)0.86

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

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

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

  • 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.