Radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS), in which asymptomatic demyelinating-appearing lesions are detected incidentally on MRI, can be a pre-clinical form of multiple sclerosis (MS). In this study, we measured cerebellar volumes on 3D T1-weighted 3T MR images in 21 individuals with RIS and 38 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC). Normalized cerebellar white matter volume and the anterior cerebellar gray matter volume were significantly decreased in RIS compared to HC (p = 0.003 and p = 0.005, respectively). Our findings support reports of regional brain atrophy in RIS prior to the development of a seminal attack related to inflammatory demyelination.
OkudaDTMowryEMBeheshtianA, et al. Incidental MRI anomalies suggestive of multiple sclerosis: The radiologically isolated syndrome. Neurology2009; 72(9): 800–805.
2.
OkudaDTSivaAKantarciO, et al. Radiologically isolated syndrome: 5-year risk for an initial clinical event. PLoS ONE2014; 9(3): e90509.
3.
AzevedoCJOvertonEKhadkaS, et al. Early CNS neurodegeneration in radiologically isolated syndrome. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm2015; 2(3): e102.
4.
CocozzaSPetraccaMMorminaE, et al. Cerebellar lobule atrophy and disability in progressive MS. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry2017; 88(12): 1065–1072.
5.
El MendiliMMPetraccaMPodranskiK, et al. SUITer: An automated method for improving segmentation of infratentorial structures at ultra-high field MRI. J Neuroimaging2019; 00:1–12. DOI: 10.1111/jon.12672.
6.
JenkinsonMBannisterPBradyM, et al. Improved optimization for the robust and accurate linear registration and motion correction of brain images. Neuroimage2002; 17(2): 825–841.
7.
RossiFGiorgioABattagliniM, et al. Relevance of brain lesion location to cognition in relapsing multiple sclerosis. PLoS ONE2012; 7(11): e44826.
8.
CalabreseMMattisiIRinaldiF, et al. Magnetic resonance evidence of cerebellar cortical pathology in multiple sclerosis. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry2010; 81(4): 401–404.
9.
RoccaMAPreziosaPMesarosS, et al. Clinically isolated syndrome suggestive of multiple sclerosis: Dynamic patterns of gray and white matter changes—A 2-year MR imaging study. Radiology2016; 278(3): 841–853.
10.
IngleseMPetraccaMMorminaE, et al. Cerebellar volume as imaging outcome in progressive multiple sclerosis. PLoS ONE2017; 12(4): e0176519.
11.
EshaghiAMarinescuRVYoungAL, et al. Progression of regional grey matter atrophy in multiple sclerosis. Brain2018; 141(6): 1665–1677.
12.
DeppeMTabelowKKramerJ, et al. Evidence for early, non-lesional cerebellar damage in patients with multiple sclerosis: DTI measures correlate with disability, atrophy, and disease duration. Mult Scler2016; 22(1): 73–84.
