Monash University
Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School

Author Of 2 Presentations

Biomarkers and Bioinformatics Poster Presentation

P0121 - Objective measurement of speech correlates with disease status and quality of life in people with MS without dysarthria (ID 1681)

Speakers
Presentation Number
P0121
Presentation Topic
Biomarkers and Bioinformatics

Abstract

Background

Objective measurement of speech has shown promising results to monitor disease state in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Yet, it is not clear if changes in speech can be detected before overt dysarthria.

Objectives

In this study, we characterize the relationship between disease severity and objective speech metrics exclusively in people with no perceivable dysarthria.

Methods

An acoustic composite score was calculated using regression modelling of speech data from 119 people with MS (pwMS, 75% female), irrespective of dysarthria presence. That score was then tested in pwMS without dysarthria, as determined by blinded perceptual rating, for correlations with the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), brain volume and lesion load from magnetic resonance imaging, and quality of life scores from the Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale (MSIS-29) .

Results

PwMS without dysarthria (n=77) were more likely to be female (82% vs 62%, p=0.017), were on average 5.7 years younger (age mean ± standard deviation 53.5±11.4, p=0.009), had MS for 2.5 years shorter (11±8.5 years, p=0.034) and scored EDSS 1.7 step lower (2.7±1.9, p<0.001) than pwMS with dysarthria (n=42). The acoustic composite score correlated with EDSS scores (r=0.45, p<0.001) and quality of life (r=0.4, p=0.01) in pwMS without perceivable dysarthria, but not with brain volume or lesion load.

Conclusions

Acoustic analysis offers a valuable insight into the subclinical development of speech impairment in MS. These results highlight the potential of automated analysis of speech to assist in monitoring disease progression and treatment response.

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Imaging Poster Presentation

P0636 - Relationship of real-world brain atrophy to MS disability using icobrain: 4 centre pilot study (ID 716)

Abstract

Background

To date, no studies have explored the relationship between brain atrophy and MS disability using differing MRI protocols and scanners at multiple sites.

Objectives

To assess the association between brain atrophy and MS disability, as measured by EDSS and 6-month confirmed disability progression (CDP).

Methods

In this retrospective study at 4 MS centres, a total of 1300 patients had brain MRI imaging assessed by icobrain. Relapse-onset MS patients were included if they had two clinical MRIs 12 (±3) months apart and ≥2 EDSS scores post MRI-2, the first ≤3 months from MRI-2, with ≥6 months between first and last EDSS. Volumetric data were analysed if the alignment similarity between two images was as good as that of same-scanner scan-rescan images (normalised mutual information ≥0.2). The percentage brain volume change (PBVC), percentage grey matter change (PGMC), FLAIR lesion volume change, whole brain volume, grey matter volume, FLAIR lesion volume and T1 hypointense lesion volume at MRI-2 were calculated. Ordinal mixed effect models were used to determine the association between these volumetric MRI measures and all EDSS scores post MRI-2. Cox proportional hazards models were used for the 6-month CDP outcome, using a subset of patients with ≥3 EDSS. Models were adjusted for proportion of time spent on disease-modifying therapy during MRIs ± whole brain/grey matter volume at baseline MRI.

Results

Of the 260 relapse-onset MS patients included, 204 (78%) MRI pairs were performed in the same scanner and 56 (22%) pairs were from different scanners. During the follow-up period (median 3.8 years, range 1.3-8.9), 29 of 244 (12%) patients experienced 6-month CDP. There was no evidence for association between annualised PBVC or PGMC and CDP or EDSS (p>0.05). Cross-sectional whole brain and grey matter volume (at MRI-2) tended to associate with CDP (HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.98-1.00, p=0.06). Every 1ml of whole brain or grey matter volume lost represented a 1% higher chance of reaching 6-month CDP. Only whole brain volume (at MRI-2) was associated with EDSS score (β -0.03, SE 0.01, p<0.001) and the slope of EDSS change over time (β -0.001, SE 0.0003, p=0.02). On average, every 33ml reduction of brain volume was associated with a 1 step increase in EDSS.

Conclusions

In this real-world clinical setting where a fifth of the brain atrophy analysis were performed on different scanners, we found no association between individual brain atrophy and MS disability. However, there was an association between cross-sectional whole brain volume with EDSS and slope of EDSS change.

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