Abstract #2547

STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL MRI PREDICTORS OF DISABILITY AND COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT ACCRUAL IN PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Paola Valsasina¹, Maria Assunta Rocca¹, Fiammetta Pirro¹, Elisabetta Pagani¹, Alessandro Meani¹, Massimiliano Copetti², Filippo Martinelli Boneschi³, Vittorio Martinelli³, Giancarlo Comi³, Andrea Falini⁴, and Massimo Filippi¹

¹Neuroimaging Research Unit, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy, ²IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, ³Department of Neurology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy, ⁴Department of Neuroradiology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy

Aim of this study was to identify the MRI predictors of medium-term disability and cognitive impairment accrual in patients with the main clinical phenotypes of multiple sclerosis (MS). Results indicated that clinical disability and cognitive impairment at follow-up were predicted by measures of structural and microstructural damage, as well as by resting state functional connectivity measures. Preserved white matter integrity predicted clinical improvement. Grey matter involvement played a critical role in MS-related clinical worsening and evolution to a more severe disease phenotype.

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