Multiple sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)
May 31, 2026 · via Europe PMC
TSPO-PET-measurable neuroinflammation associates with information processing speed decline in multiple sclerosis.
Saraste M, Nikkilä T, Matilainen M, +5 more, Airas L.
AI summary — for doctors, generated from the abstract only
Chronic glial activation in normal-appearing white matter predicts later decline in processing speed in MS.
What was studied
Cohort of 48 people with MS undergoing TSPO-PET, MRI and SDMT, with 34 retested a median of 4.9 years later.
Key findings
- NAWM radial diffusivity and thalamic DVR explained 41% of baseline SDMT variance.
- NAWM DVR explained 53% of SDMT change.
- A model with lesion rim DVR and baseline SDMT predicted decline with AUC 0.85.
Clinical relevance
It links smouldering neuroinflammation to cognitive worsening, supporting it as a treatment target.
Who should care
Limitations
Small single-centre sample with attrition and PET not available in routine practice.
Take a low or falling SDMT seriously as a sign of progressive disease activity even without relapses.
This is an AI-generated summary of the published abstract, not a clinical recommendation. It may not reflect the full text or subsequent updates — verify against the original source before acting on it.
Abstract
Background
Impaired information processing speed (IPS) is a common and disabling cognitive deficit in multiple sclerosis (MS).
Objectives
To assess whether glial activation measured using translocator protein-positron emission tomography (TSPO-PET) predicts performance and long-term change on the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT).
Methods
Forty-eight people with MS underwent [¹¹C]PK11195 TSPO-PET, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diffusion tensor imaging and SDMT at baseline; 34 repeated SDMT a median (first to third quartile) 4.9 (3.7-5.2) years later. Glial activation was quantified using the distribution volume ratio (DVR). Multivariable regression models were used to identify predictors of baseline SDMT and subsequent change.
Results
Normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) radial diffusivity (estimate [95% confidence interval (CI)] -129 [-214, -44]), thalamic DVR (-52.5 [-94.8, -10.2]) and age (-0.57 [-1.07, -0.06]) explained 41% of baseline SDMT variance. NAWM DVR was the strongest predictor of SDMT change, explaining 53% of variance when adjusted for baseline SDMT (-6.23 [-8.55, -3.91]). A model including lesion rim DVR (odds ratio 1.36 [1.06, 1.73]) and baseline SDMT (1.18 [1.01, 1.37]) predicted SDMT decline with 73% sensitivity and 83% specificity (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.85).
Conclusion
Diffuse neuroinflammation in the NAWM is associated with future SDMT change, suggesting a potential role for chronic glial activation in IPS deterioration in MS.
DOI
10.1177/13524585261446839
PMID
42218616
Research metadata (titles, abstracts, authors, publication dates) is sourced from Europe PMC, which aggregates content from PubMed/MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and other providers under the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM/NCBI). NLM does not claim copyright on abstracts; the original journal publishers or authors may hold rights to the full articles. AI-generated summaries are derived only from the abstract, never the full text, and are always labeled as AI-generated.
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