Author Of 3 Presentations
P0095 - Intracortical motor conduction is associated with dexterity in progressive multiple sclerosis (ID 1841)
Abstract
Background
Hand dexterity dysfunction is a key feature of disability in people with progressive multiple sclerosis (PMS). It underlies corticospinal tract (CST) and cerebellar integrity but also disruption of cortical networks, which are hardly assessed by standard techniques. Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a promising tool for evaluating the integrity of intracortical motor pathways.
Objectives
to investigate neurophysiological correlates of motor hand impairment in PMS and assess intracortical motor conduction through the use of a innovative TMS protocol.
Methods
Antero-posterior (AP) stimulation of the primary motor cortex activates the CST indirectly through polysynaptic pathways, while a direct CST activation occurs with latero-medial (LM) directed current. 30 PMS and 15 healthy controls underwent dominant hand motor evoked potentials (MEP) using AP and LM-directed stimulation, and a clinical assessment of dexterity (nine-hole peg test) and strength (MRC scale, grip and pinch).
Results
PMS with AP-LM latency difference 2.5 standard deviation above the mean of controls (33%) showed worse dexterity but no difference in upper limb strength. Accordingly, AP-LM latency shortening predicted dexterity (R2 0.538, p<0.001), but not strength impairment. On the contrary, absolute MEP latencies only correlated with strength (grip: R2 0.381, p=0.014; MRC: R2 0.184, p=0.041).
Conclusions
AP-LM latency shortening may be used to assess the integrity polysynaptic intracortical networks implicated in dexterity impairment.
P0100 - Italian prospective multicentric observational real-life study of aggressive Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis treated with alemtuzumab (ID 1730)
- L. Moiola
- M. Di Cristinzi
- A. Sultana
- C. Zanetta
- F. Rinaldi
- L. Brambilla
- J. Frau
- S. Malucchi
- P. Annovazzi
- G. Puorro
- A. Bianco
- G. Lus
- P. Cavalla
- F. Sangalli
- M. Romeo
- G. Marfia
- A. Gallo
- V. Barcella
- S. Bucello
- M. Ferrò
- C. Lapucci
- L. Chiveri
- C. Chisari
- E. Baldi
- R. Clerici
- P. Banfi
- C. Tortorella
- R. Totaro
- R. Cerqua
- S. Tonietti
- V. Mantero
- G. Santuccio
- M. Filippi
Abstract
Background
Alemtuzumab(ALEM) is an anti-CD52 monoclonal antibody approved for the treatment of active Multiple Sclerosis(MS) which showed an overall high efficacy in clinical trials, also in the highly active subgroup of patients.
Objectives
The aim of this multicenter obervational study is to evaluate efficacy and safety of ALEM-treatment in a population of aggressive MS naïve-patients at year 2 and 3 after a complete cycle of treatment.
Methods
We conducted a multicenter prospective observational study in a cohort of ALEM-naïve MS patients. Clinical and neuroradiological parameters were collected from patients’ clinical records in 26 Italian MS Centers from October 2015 to May 2020.
Results
133 naïve patients were treated with ALEM: 60,2% females, mean age 31,4(± 8,9) years, mean disease duration 18,5(± 22,7) months, mean follow-up(FU) 34,2(± 12,1) months, median EDSS 3(0-6,5), ARR in the year preceding treatment 1,8 (± 0,9), mean number of brain T2/FLAIR-hyperintense lesions 29,8 (± 20,8) and mean number of Gd-enhancing lesions 3,4(± 5,1). Regarding ALEM efficacy, we report data obtained after the first complete cycle of treatment (2 ALEM-courses) because the occurrence of disease activity between the first and second course is not indicative of a therapeutic failure. 99 and 61 over 133 patients have at least 24 and 36 months FU respectively: 97% and 82% were relapse-free, ARR was 0,02 and 0,1, 92.9% and 82% were MRI activity-free and 97,7% and 91,8% progression-free with median EDSS of 2,0 and 1,5 (IQR 1 – 2,5) at year 2 and 3. The mean time to first relapse was 27,6(± 6,4) months 89,2% and 69,4% of patients reached NEDA-3 at year 2 and year 3 respectively. 5,3% of patients needed a third cycle of therapy. Overall 74,4% of patients had adverse events. Infusion-reaction and infections occurred respectively in 70,1% and 9,8% of patients; regarding secondary autoimmune disease the most frequent was thyroid dysfunction (15,8%).
Conclusions
In our very active MS-population after ALEM-treatment a strong reduction of both relapse rate and MRI activity was achieved. These results strengthen the assumption that aggressive naïve patient is an ideal candidate for immune system resetting, likely due to young age, short disease duration and low disability. Furthermore, absence of previous immunomodulating/immunosuppressant drugs altering the immune system could play a key role in determining effectiveness of this powerful drug. However, longer FU is needed to confirm our data and evaluate whether an early induction therapy could be worthy in this specific population, balancing benefit-risk ratio.
P0344 - Injectable versus oral first-line disease-modifying therapies: results from Italian MS register (ID 1384)
Abstract
Background
The advent of oral first-line disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) has expanded considerably the therapeutic landscape. However, here is an important need to gather real-world evidence data regarding long-term treatment effectiveness and safety in comparison to the old first-line injectables DMTs.
Objectives
To compare old injectable and oral first line DMTs for time to first relapse, time to confirmed disability progression (CDP), and time to discontinuation in a cohort of RRMS patients extracted from the Italian MS Registry.
Methods
Multicentre, observational, retrospectively acquired and propensity-adjusted cohort study of RRMS-naïve patients in the Italian MS Register starting injective or oral first line DMTs between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2017 to evaluate their impact on disability outcomes in patients. Enrolled patients were divided into two groups: injectable group (IG) and oral group (OG).
Results
From a cohort of 11,416 patients, 4,602 were enrolled (3,919 on IG and 683 on OG). IG had higher rate of women (67.3% vs 63.4%, p<.05) and a lower mean age (36.1±10.9 vs 38.9±11.8, p<.001). For the event time to first relapse, Cox models after PS adjustment revealed a lower risk for OG patients (HR 0.58 CI95% 0.47-0.70, p<0.001). About the risk of CDP, no differences were found in the two groups (HR 1.14 CI95% 0.88-1.48, p=0.306). About the risk of DMT discontinuation, OG patients showed lower risk (HR 0.70 CI95% 0.57-0.86 p=0.001) than IG patients.
Conclusions
Real-world data from the Italian MS registry suggest that first line oral DMTs are associated to lower risks of experiencing a new relapse and of therapy discontinuation in comparison to injectable DMTs.