Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40137994›Full record

ArticleJournal of neurology2025

MS treatment trends before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic: insights from the German MS Register.

Agni-Maria Konitsioti, Sarah Laurent, David Ellenberger, Alexander Stahmann, Paulus Rommer, Judith Haas, Clemens Warnke

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neurology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Agni-Maria Konitsioti *Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, Cologne, Germany. agni.konitsioti@uk-koeln.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7296-4349
Sarah Laurent *Neurology, CHU Saint-Pierre, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
David EllenbergerGerman MS-Register, MS Forschungs-und Projektentwicklungs gGmbH (MS Research and Project Development gGmbH [MSFP]), Hannover, Germany.
Alexander StahmannGerman MS-Register, MS Forschungs-und Projektentwicklungs gGmbH (MS Research and Project Development gGmbH [MSFP]), Hannover, Germany.
Paulus RommerDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Judith HaasDeutsche Multiple Sklerose Gesellschaft, Bundesverband e.V. (German Multiple Sclerosis Society [DMSG]), Hannover, Germany.
Clemens WarnkeDepartment of Neurology, University Hospital Marburg, Marburg, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic affected healthcare management for people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), leading to alterations in disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) due to concerns about COVID-19 outcomes and vaccine efficacy.

objectivesTo compare DMT prescription patterns in PwMS before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

methodsPwMS from the German MS Register, between 2019 and 2024, either newly diagnosed (Cohort A) or who discontinued or switched DMT (Cohort B), were analyzed over a follow-up period of 3 months. Data from the pre-pandemic period were compared to early-, late-, and post-pandemic periods. DMTs were categorized as medium efficacy (meDMT) or high efficacy (heDMT).

resultsIn Cohort A (n = 1810), pre-pandemic 46% had no DMT within 3 months of diagnosis, 39% received meDMT, and 15% heDMT (7.5% B cell-depleting therapies (BCD)). heDMT use increased during later periods ("early" 19%, "late" 29%, "post" 41%), with a shift toward BCD. In cohort B (n = 4246), pre-pandemic 47% paused DMT, 19% switched to meDMT, and 34% to heDMT (17% BCD). heDMT use also rose during the pandemic ("early" 37%, "late" 47%, "post" 48%), with increased BCD use.

conclusionsThere were no delays in DMT initiation or resumption during the pandemic with a notable increase in heDMT and BCD use, reflecting growing confidence in these treatment options.

Indexed as

COVID-19Immunologic FactorsMultiple SclerosisAdultCohort StudiesFemaleGermanyHumansMaleMiddle AgedRegistriesImmunologic FactorsBenefitDisease modifying therapyPandemicRisk

Identifiers

PMID40137994
PMCPMC11947008

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.