Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40443113›Full record

ArticleAnnals of clinical and translational neurology2025

SARS-CoV-2 Is Linked to Brain Volume Loss in Multiple Sclerosis.

Tomas Uher, Dominika Stastna, Ingrid Menkyova, Vaclav Capek, Jiri Lindner, Petra Nytrova, Jan Krasensky, Eliza Varju, Miguel D'haeseleer, Eva Kubala Havrdova and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Annals of clinical and translational neurology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

13 authors.

Tomas UherDepartment of Neurology and Centre of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital, Prague, Czechia.ORCID 0000-0003-3160-9022
Dominika StastnaDepartment of Neurology and Centre of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital, Prague, Czechia.
Ingrid MenkyovaDepartment of Neurology and Centre of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital, Prague, Czechia.
Vaclav CapekDepartment of Neurology and Centre of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital, Prague, Czechia.
Jiri LindnerDepartment of Radiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital, Prague, Czechia.
Petra NytrovaDepartment of Neurology and Centre of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital, Prague, Czechia.
Jan KrasenskyDepartment of Radiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital, Prague, Czechia.
Eliza VarjuDanish Multiple Sclerosis Registry, Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital-Rigshospitalet, Glostrup, Denmark.
Miguel D'haeseleerUniversitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZ Brussel), Department of Neurology, Brussels, Belgium.
Eva Kubala HavrdovaDepartment of Neurology and Centre of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital, Prague, Czechia.
Dana HorakovaDepartment of Neurology and Centre of Clinical Neuroscience, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital, Prague, Czechia.
Manuela VaneckovaDepartment of Radiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital, Prague, Czechia.
Niels BergslandBuffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-7792-0433

Funding

Cooperatio Program in NeuroscienceCzech Ministry of Health CZ-DRO-VFN64165Czech Ministry of Health project NU22-04-00193EXCELLES NPO LX22NPO5107
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThe impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on brain and spinal cord pathology in patients with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) remains unclear. We aimed to describe changes in brain lesion activity and brain and spinal cord volumes following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

methodsWe included 177 pwMS (570 MRI scans) diagnosed with and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection between August 2020 and May 2021. All patients were free of clinical disease activity, disease-modifying therapy changes, and corticosteroids during the study. MRI scans were performed using a standardized protocol on a 3-Tesla scanner. We analyzed the effect of SARS-CoV-2 on brain lesion load accrual and brain and spinal cord volume measures using adjusted mixed-effect models.

resultsDuring SARS-CoV-2 infection, patients had a median disease duration of 14.2 years, a median age of 44.9 years, and a median Expanded Disability Status Scale of 2.0. SARS-CoV-2 infection did not lead to any changes in the number or volume of T1 or T2 lesions in the brain. However, SARS-CoV-2 was associated with an increased whole brain (B = -0.17; SE = 0.08; p = 0.028), grey matter (B = -0.25; SE = 0.12; p = 0.040), and cortical grey matter volume loss (B = -0.32; SE = 0.13; p = 0.014). Greater ventricular enlargement following SARS-CoV-2 infection was evident only in individuals over the age of 40 (interaction of age vs. ventricular enlargement: B = 0.17; SE = 0.05; p = 0.0003). Only patients with more severe SARS-CoV-2 infection showed a reduction in mean upper cervical cord area (MUCCA) (B = 1.14; SE = 0.52; p = 0.030).

interpretationSARS-CoV-2 infection in clinically stable pwMS was linked to increased neuronal tissue loss.

Indexed as

BrainCOVID-19Multiple SclerosisSpinal CordAdultFemaleGray MatterHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMiddle AgedSARS-CoV-2brain atrophybrain lesionCOVID‐19MRImultiple sclerosisSARS‐CoV‐2

Identifiers

PMID40443113
PMCPMC12343308

What Socratic holds

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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.