AAN 2022 | Rates of neurodegeneration in the retina and cortex across the MS spectrum

Christian Cordano, MD, PhD, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, San Francisco, CA discusses the significance of neuroaxonal loss in the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). Despite certain aspects of neurodegeneration being well understood, such as its association with localized inflammation, more research is needed to understand the timing of neurodegeneration and its impact throughout the MS disease course. Understanding this is of importance for MS treatment, particularly in preventing the progression of the disease. Dr Cordano explains that using multiple cohorts, rates of degeneration in the retina and cortex were investigated in more than 1000 patients with over 10 years of follow-up and were found to be faster in the first phase of the disease. Dr Cordano expands on the results of this trial, comparing the rates of retinal and cortical atrophy due to differences in cell structure and imaging techniques. This interview took place at the American Academy of Neurology 2022 Congress in Seattle, WA.