Smoking appears linked to brain abnormalities in people with multiple sclerosis-related disease

Smoking appears linked to brain abnormalities in people with multiple sclerosis-related disease

A team of researchers suggested thatcigarette smoking is associated with adverse effects to white matter in the brain, and reported that smoking may underlie the clinical course of clinically isolated syndrome, an early and potentially predictive symptom of a progression to multiple sclerosis (MS).

The study, “Influence of cigarette smoking on white matter in patients with clinically isolated syndrome as detected by diffusion tensor imaging,” was published in the Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology journal.

Cigarette smoking is one of the environmental risk factors associated with increased occurrence of MS, even in passive smokers, together with worsening clinical disability and faster disease progression.

Clinically isolated syndrome is an inflammatory demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system, and the first clinical episode predicting the possible occurrence of MS. MS, a disabling disease of the central nervous system, is characterized by damage to the myelin coating around nerve fibers, which disrupts transmission of nerve signals between the brain, spinal cord, and the rest of the body.

Researchers investigated the effects of smoking on white matter in patients with clinically isolated syndrome using diffusion tensor imaging, a technique that allows evaluating white matters’ tissue integrity. To this end, the team analyzed smoking patients with clinically isolated syndrome (n=16), healthy controls who smoke (n=13), nonsmoking patients with clinically isolated syndrome (n=17), and nonsmoking healthy controls (n=14). All patients fulfilled the McDonald diagnostic criteria for MS, but registered only one clinical episode involving optic neuritis, cervical and/or thoracic myelitis, or brainstem/cerebellar syndrome.

The team scanned 13 regions of interest (including nonenhancing T1 hypointense lesion and perilesional white matter), and 11 normal-appearing white matter regions.

Researchers found a tendency for greater lesion load in smoking patients. When compared to healthy smokers, smokers with clinically isolated syndrome showed more, and more extensive, normal-appearing white matter changes, denoted by increased mean diffusivity. However, no relationship was found between diffusion metrics and clinical disability scores, duration of the disease, and degree of smoking exposure.

In conclusion, results suggested that patients who smoke may have a tendency toward a greater number of white matter lesions, and exhibit significantly more extensive normal-appearing white matter abnormalities, as detected by diffusion tensor imaging.

Patricia Inacio, PhD

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The industry news information and articles are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to represent any trends, partnerships, commitments, or research of the Consortium of MS Centers or any of it's members in any way whatsoever, nor should any party be libel in any way to the reader or to any other person, firm or corporation reading this industry news section. Although the CMSC site includes links providing direct access to other Internet sites, CMSC takes no responsibility for the content or information contained on those other sites, and does not exert any editorial or other control over those other sites. CMSC is providing information and services on the Internet as a benefit and service in furtherance of CMSC's nonprofit and tax-exempt status. CMSC makes no representations about the suitability of this information and these services for any purpose.

Elizabeth Porco

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