ObjectiveTo evaluate real-world Radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS) management practices across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and identify key gaps for future guideline development.MethodsBetween October 1 and October 16, 2024, neurologists across university hospitals, teaching hospitals, municipal clinics, and private practices in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (DACH) participated in an anonymous online survey on RIS diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring practices.ResultsAmong 127 physicians from diverse care settings, RIS management showed both marked heterogeneity and notable convergence. While the diagnostic work-up was relatively uniform (>85% performed comprehensive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, as well as evoked potentials), awareness and implementation of the 2023 RIS criteria varied substantially (34% consistent use, 42% partial implementation, 16% non-adoption, and 8% unaware). Treatment practices showed the greatest heterogeneity: although 54% considered therapy initiation and clinicians agreed on treatment triggers (high lesion burden, new MRI activity, inflammatory CSF), 69% treated less than 25% of their RIS cases. Off-label treatment strategies, medication choices, and escalation approaches varied widely across settings, with 72% lacking standardized algorithms. Structural barriers were consistent across all countries and care levels, with reimbursement challenges (61%), patient communication difficulties (42%), and limited access to specialists outside university centers identified as key obstacles. Recent treatment trials increased therapeutic confidence, yet clinicians emphasized the urgent need for national recommendations to harmonize diagnostic workflows, treatment pathways, and reimbursement structures.ConclusionReal-world RIS care in the DACH region is characterized by substantial practice heterogeneity, coexisting with shared clinical approaches, which reflects the absence of formal guidelines and approved therapies. While the 2024 McDonald criteria now enable immunotherapy for asymptomatic individuals at high-risk for MS, clinical uncertainty persists regarding risk stratification, treatment decisions, and communication frameworks, challenges applicable to both RIS and preclinical MS. These findings reveal critical unmet needs and demonstrate the urgent necessity for harmonized DACH-wide recommendations addressing diagnostic standards, risk-adapted treatment pathways, patient communication, reimbursement integration, and cross-sector collaboration.

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate [18F]fluorodeprenyl-D2 ([18F]F-DED) positron-emission tomography (PET) imaging as a biomarker of disease activity in autoimmune encephalitis (AIE) associated with glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GAD65) antibodies. METHODS:[18F]F-DED PET was performed in 25 GAD65-AIE patients and 8 controls using dynamic (0-60 min) and static (30-60 min) acquisitions. Global astrogliosis was assessed by volumes of distribution (VT; 1-tissue-compartment model with carotid input) and standardized uptake values (SUV). Regional cerebellar and mesiotemporal (MT) uptake was normalized to global uptake (SUVr). PET measures were correlated with clinical phenotypes, MRI findings, and serum biomarkers (neurofilament light chain [sNfL], GAD65-Ab titers, and glial fibrillary acidic protein [sGFAP]). RESULTS:Clinical phenotypes included limbic encephalitis/temporal lobe epilepsy (LE/TLE; n = 17), stiff-person syndrome (n = 4), and cerebellar ataxia (CA; n = 4), with overlap in nine patients. Global [18F]F-DED uptake was higher in patients than controls. VT analysis showed increased cortical and MT uptake, while SUVr analysis demonstrated elevated MT uptake across the cohort. LE/TLE patients exhibited increased MT uptake, and CA patients showed higher cerebellar uptake. [18F]F-DED uptake did not correlate with sNfL or GAD65-Ab titers, but sGFAP showed associations with cerebellar and white-matter uptake. Regional uptake correlated with clinical severity in LE/TLE (MT lobe) and CA (cerebellar white matter). INTERPRETATION:[18F]F-DED PET reveals region-specific astrogliosis corresponding to clinical manifestations and disease severity in GAD65-AIE, supporting its potential as a monitoring tool for disease activity.

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the impact of transition interval length when switching from natalizumab (NTZ) to anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies (antiCD20) on recurrent disease activity and safety in relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS). METHODS:Aggregating data from 8 MS centres in Austria, Switzerland, and Germany, we included RMS patients who (i) continuously received NTZ for ≥3 months, (ii) were switched to antiCD20, and (iii) had ≥12 months follow-up after switch. The primary endpoint was occurrence of relapse after switch, secondary endpoints included severe infections (CTCAE grade ≥3). RESULTS:Overall, 139 RMS patients were included (70.5% females, mean age at switch 38.8 years [SD 9.7], mean disease duration at switch 11.3 years [SD 6.2], median duration on NTZ 4.4 years [range: 0.3-16.4], median transition interval 58 days [0-180]). Relapse occurred in 18 patients (12.9%) after NTZ discontinuation. Of those, 11 (61.1%) patients relapsed during the transition interval. No patient with a transition interval below 30 days experienced a relapse, compared to 11.1% and 16.1% with transition intervals of 30-44 days and ≥ 45 days, respectively. In multivariable Cox regression, a transition interval ≥ 45 days predicted a 4.73-fold increased risk of relapse. Over approximately 4 years of follow-up, six severe infections were reported without any noticeable effect of transition interval length. No PML occurred. CONCLUSIONS:Switching from NTZ to antiCD20 is generally both effective and safe. Keeping the transition interval below 30 days provides the optimal balance between preventing recurrent disease activity and ensuring safety.

BACKGROUND:Critical life events challenge our competence to develop coping strategies. In people with multiple sclerosis (MS), the impact of genetics, disease-specific, and psychometric factors on coping strategies have not been explored to date. METHODS:In a unique cohort of 56 monozygotic twins discordant for MS, we applied comprehensive psychometric and clinical testing to measure factors influencing the psychosocial impact (including stressors and coping strategies) of a critical life event, exemplified by the COVID-19 pandemic (measured by the COVID-19 Pandemic Mental Health Questionnaire, CoPaQ). CoPaQ results were compared to an independent age- and sex-matched control cohort. We applied factor analysis, structural equation modeling, hypothesis testing, and regression models. RESULTS:We detected no differences in the perception of 14 CoPaQ subscales between MS and non-MS co-twins. However, compared to the independent control group, MS co-twins valued 5/14 CoPaQ subscales differently. Strong perception of pandemic-related stressors in MS co-twins was accompanied by higher HADS-Anxiety (ρ = 0.69, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), HADS-Depression (ρ = 0.57), BDI-II (ρ = 0.74, Beck Depression Inventory), and MSIS-29-psychological scores (ρ = 0.58, Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale 29). In a generalized linear mixed model, individuals who perceived pandemic-related stressors as more burdensome relied on inner resources, with a notable dependency on twinship. DISCUSSION:Using a unique twin approach, our study suggests that coping with critical life events is mainly driven by the genetic background. However, in people with MS, coping and the perception of stressors is further confounded by psychometric and disease-related factors.

BACKGROUND:Data on cognition in patients with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) are limited to studies with small sample sizes. Therefore, we aimed to analyse the extent, characteristics and the longitudinal course of potential cognitive deficits in patients with MOGAD. METHODS:The CogniMOG-Study is a prospective, longitudinal and multicentre observational study of 113 patients with MOGAD. Individual cognitive performance was assessed using the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task (PASAT), the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) and the Multiple Sclerosis Inventory Cognition (MuSIC), which are standardised against normative data from healthy controls. Cognitive performance was assessed at baseline and at 1-year and 2-year follow-up assessments. Multiple linear regression was used to analyse demographic and clinical predictors of cognitive deficits identified in previous correlation analyses. RESULTS:At baseline, the study sample of MOGAD patients showed impaired standardised performance on MuSIC semantic fluency (mean=-0.29, 95% CI (-0.47 to -0.12)) and MuSIC congruent speed (mean=-0.73, 95% CI (-1.23 to -0.23)). Around 1 in 10 patients showed deficits in two or more cognitive measures (11%). No decline in cognition was observed during the 1-year and 2-year follow-up period. Cerebral lesions were found to be negatively predictive for SDMT (B=-8.85, 95% CI (-13.57 to -4.14)) and MuSIC semantic fluency (B=-4.17, 95% CI (-6.10 to -2.25)) test performance. CONCLUSIONS:Based on these data, we conclude that MOGAD patients show reduced visuomotor processing speed and semantic fluency to the extent that the disease burden includes cerebral lesions.

BackgroundRecurrent attacks in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSDs) or myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) can lead to severe disability. We aimed to analyse the real-world use of immunotherapies in patients with NMOSD and MOGAD, focusing on changes in treatment strategies, effects on attack rates (ARR) and risk factors for attacks.MethodsThis longitudinal registry-based cohort study included 493 patients (320 with aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G (AQP4-IgG) seropositive NMOSD (65%), 44 with AQP4-IgG seronegative NMOSD (9%) and 129 MOGAD (26%)) with 1247 treatments from 19 German and one Austrian centre from the registry of the neuromyelitis optica study group (NEMOS). We analysed unadjusted ARR and implemented survival analyses and Cox proportional hazard regression to assess efficiency and risk factors for subsequent attacks over time.ResultsRituximab and azathioprine are the most widely used immunotherapies in NMOSD as well as in MOGAD, with changes in distribution over the last decade. Immunotherapy demonstrated significant therapeutic effects in NMOSD but less pronounced effects in MOGAD. Risk factors for attacks included younger age and prior attacks under the same therapy. Efficacy varied among the different immunotherapies, with azathioprine, rituximab and eculizumab showing significant risk reductions in AQP4-IgG seropositive NMOSD.ConclusionsThis study provides insights into the evolving treatment landscape and effectiveness of immunotherapies in NMOSD and MOGAD. Established off-label therapies continue to play an important role, especially for patients with stable disease, with emerging evidence supporting newly approved therapies. Future studies are needed to refine treatment algorithms and address the ongoing uncertainties in MOGAD management.

The mucosal immunity is crucial for restricting SARS-CoV-2 at its entry site. Intramuscularly applied vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 stimulate high levels of neutralizing Abs in serum, but the impact of these intramuscular vaccinations on features of mucosal immunity is less clear. Here, we analyzed kinetic and functional properties of anti-SARS-CoV-2 Abs in the saliva after vaccination with BNT162b2. We analyzed a total of 24 healthy donors longitudinally for up to 16 months. We found that specific IgG appeared in the saliva after the second vaccination, declined thereafter and reappeared after the third vaccination. Adjusting serum and saliva for the same IgG concentration revealed a strong correlation between the reactivity in these two compartments. Reactivity to VoCs correlated strongly as seen by ELISAs against RBD variants and by live-virus neutralizing assays against replication-competent viruses. For further functional analysis, we purified IgG and IgA from serum and saliva. In vaccinated donors we found neutralizing activity towards authentic virus in the IgG, but not in the IgA fraction of the saliva. In contrast, IgA with neutralizing activity appeared in the saliva only after breakthrough infection. In serum, we found neutralizing activity in both the IgA and IgG fractions. Together, we show that intramuscular mRNA vaccination transiently induces a mucosal immunity that is mediated by IgG and thus differs from the mucosal immunity after infection. Waning of specific mucosal IgG might be linked to susceptibility for breakthrough infection.

OBJECTIVE:To investigate accumulation of disability in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) in a changing treatment landscape. We aimed to identify risk factors for the development of disability milestones in relation to disease duration, number of attacks, and age. METHODS:We analyzed data from individuals with NMOSD and MOGAD from the German Neuromyelitis Optica Study Group registry. Applying survival analyses, we estimated risk factors and computed time to disability milestones as defined by the Expanded Disability Status Score (EDSS). RESULTS:We included 483 patients: 298 AQP4-IgG+ NMOSD, 52 AQP4-IgG-/MOG-IgG- NMOSD patients, and 133 patients with MOGAD. Despite comparable annualized attack rates, disability milestones occurred earlier and after less attacks in NMOSD patients than MOGAD patients (median time to EDSS 3: AQP4-IgG+ NMOSD 7.7 (95% CI 6.6-9.6) years, AQP4-IgG-/MOG-IgG- NMOSD 8.7) years, MOGAD 14.1 (95% CI 10.4-27.6) years; EDSS 4: 11.9 (95% CI 9.7-14.7), 11.6 (95% lower CI 7.6) and 20.4 (95% lower CI 14.1) years; EDSS 6: 20.1 (95% CI 16.5-32.1), 20.7 (95% lower CI 11.6), and 37.3 (95% lower CI 29.4) years; and EDSS 7: 34.2 (95% lower CI 31.1) for AQP4-IgG+ NMOSD). Higher age at onset increased the risk for all disability milestones, while risk of disability decreased over time. INTERPRETATION:AQP4-IgG+ NMOSD, AQP4-IgG-/MOG-IgG- NMOSD, and MOGAD patients show distinctive relapse-associated disability progression, with MOGAD having a less severe disease course. Investigator-initiated research has led to increasing awareness and improved treatment strategies appearing to ameliorate disease outcomes for NMOSD and MOGAD. ANN NEUROL 2024;95:720-732.