The effect of interferon beta-1b treatment on MRI measures of cerebral atrophy in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis

The recently completed European trial of interferon betahad a greater reduction of cerebral volume in the placebo group (mean reduction at month 36: placebo 5.1%, IFNβ1b (IFNβ-1b) in patients with secondary progressive 1b 1.8%, P < 0.05) whereas those with Gd-enhancing multiple sclerosis (SP multiple sclerosis) has given an lesions showed a trend to greater reduction of cerebral opportunity to assess the impact of treatment on cerebral volume if the patient was on IFNβ-1b (placebo 2.6%, atrophy using serial MRI. Unenhanced T1-weighted brain IFNβ-1b 3.7%; P > 0.05). These results are consistent imaging was acquired in a subgroup of 95 patients from with ongoing tissue loss in both arms of this study of five of the European centres; imaging was performed at secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. This finding 6-month intervals from month 0 to month 36. A blinded is concordant with previous observations that disease observer measured cerebral volume on four contiguous progression, although delayed, is not halted by IFNβ. The 5 mm cerebral hemisphere slices at each time point, using different pattern seen in patients with and without baseline an algorithm with a high level of reproducibility and gadolinium enhancement suggests that part of the cerebral automation. There was a significant and progressive volume reduction observed in IFNβ-treated patients may reduction in cerebral volume in both placebo and treated be due to the anti-inflammatory/antioedematous effect of groups, with a mean reduction of 3.9 and 2.9%, the drug. Longer periods of observation and larger groups respectively, by month 36 (P 0.34 between groups). of patients may be needed to detect the effects of treatment Exploratory subgroup analyses indicated that patients on cerebral atrophy in this population of patients with advanced disease without gadolinium (Gd) enhancement at the baseline