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Metabolic changes in the visual cortex are linked to retinal nerve fiber layer thinning in multiple sclerosis

Authors

  • C.F. Pfueller
  • A.U. Brandt
  • F. Schubert
  • M. Bock
  • B. Walaszek
  • H. Waiczies
  • T. Schwenteck
  • J. Doerr
  • J. Bellmann-Strobl
  • C. Mohr
  • N. Weinges-Evers
  • B. Ittermann
  • J.T. Wuerfel
  • F. Paul

Journal

  • PLoS ONE

Citation

  • PLoS ONE 6 (4): e18019

Abstract

  • To investigate the damage to the retinal nerve fiber layer as part of the anterior visual pathway as well as an impairment of the neuronal and axonal integrity in the visual cortex as part of the posterior visual pathway with complementary neuroimaging techniques, and to correlate our results to patients' clinical symptoms concerning the visual pathway. DESIGN, SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Survey of 86 patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis that were subjected to retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) measurement by optical coherence tomography, to a routine MRI scan including the calculation of the brain parenchymal fraction (BPF), and to magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 3 tesla, quantifying N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) concentrations in the visual cortex and normal-appearing white matter.


DOI

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0018019