Daniel Rigotti1, Robert I. Grossman1, Beatrice Benedetti2, Andrea Falini3, Massimo Filippi2, Oded Gonen1
1Radiology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; 2Neurology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute and University, Milan, Italy; 3Neuroradiology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute and University, Milan, Italy
WBNAA concentration was measured in 44 patients with benign multiple sclerosis (B-MS) using an unlocalized 1H-MRS sequence. Conventional dual echo T1-weighted scans were obtained to measure normalized brain volume. The annual rate of decline of WBNAA in B-MS patients is similar to that of moderately declining relapsing-remitting MS (RR-MS) patients. This suggests that there is a) no predictable method for prognosis triaging between moderate and benign patients and b) neuronal loss is globally similar in the two groups, but the preservation of more eloquent areas in b-MS patients may be more prevalent.