European Journal of Neurology 2023, Budapest, Hungary, 1 - 04 July 2023, vol.30, no.13515101, pp.828
“Detecting Neurodegeneration on Optic Nerve and Cornea in Multiple Sclerosis And Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder”.
INTRODUCTION
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and NeuroMyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMO-SD) are neurological
diseases that could target the optic nerve. Optic neuritis-caused MS and NMO-SD are difficult to
differentiate solely on clinical grounds. This study aimed to compare peripapillary retinal nerve fiber
layer (pRNFL) thickness and subbasal corneal nerve plexus (SNP) in patients with MS, NMO-SD, and
control subjects(CS).
METHODS
Optical coherence tomography (pRNFL thickness measurement) and in-vivo corneal confocal
microscopy (Parameters: central nerve branch density(CNBD), central nerve fiber length (CNFL), and
central nerve fiber density(CNFD) ) were performed on all participants.
RESULTS
The NMO-SD group had significantly lower visual acuity compared to MS and CS , and MS group had
significantly lower visual acuity compared to the CS. The NMO-SD group had significantly lower
Ischiara color vision scores than the MS group and CS. However, there wasn’t significant difference
between the MS group and CS
The pRNFL thickness was more severely reduced in both MS and NMO-SD groups compared to CS .
The NMO-SD group had significantly lower pRNFL thickness in the central and inferior regions than
the MS group. IVCM’s parameters were significantly lower in both MS and NMO-SD groups compared
to CS. There wasn’t significant difference between MS and NMO-SD groups.
CONCLUSION
Our study shows that axonal damage in both optic nerve and corneal SNP in MS and NMO-SD groups.
Consistent with previous findings, NMO-SD leads to more pronounced pRNFL thinning and visual
function impairment than the MS group. However, IVCM's parameters didn't show a significant differ
between the MS and NMO-SD groups.