MR monitoring of activity of multiple sclerosis patients: conventional techniques and long-term MR monitoring of ocrelizumab therapy
Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been used in multiple sclerosis (MS) imaging since its introduction in practice, and its importance continues to grow. It is the most important biomarker for this disease.
It helps in diagnosis, prediction of the most likely development path and in monitoring disease activity. Activity monitoring has recently become increasingly important in view of the expanding portfolio of drugs, as the findings on MRI monitoring help to determine whether a given treatment is effective or not.
Conventional MRI monitoring techniques are a part of most clinical trials, most often the number and possibly the volume of T2 lesions, the number of enhancing lesions and the brain atrophy (total, gray and white matter separately) and these techniques are gradually penetrating into dailly clinical practice. Long-term data from clinical trials of ocrelizumab therapy are presented, showing its effect on stabilization of monitored MRI.