Subventricular Zone Microstructure in Pediatric-Onset Multiple Sclerosis

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the microstructural dynamics of the subventricular zone (SVZ) with aging and their associations with clinical disability and brain structural damage in pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Methods: One-hundred and forty-one pediatric-onset MS patients (67 pediatric and 74 adults with pediatric-onset) and 233 healthy controls (HC) underwent neurological and 3.0 T MRI assessment. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were extracted from the SVZ and the thalamus (as control region). Results: In HC, SVZ FA was higher until age 40 then declined, whereas MD was lower until age 35 before rising (false discovery rate p value [pFDR] ≤ 0.008). Thalamic FA was higher until age 30 and then declined, whereas MD was higher until age 50 (pFDR ≤ 0.007). Pediatric MS patients showed significantly higher SVZ FA than pediatric HC (pFDR < 0.001), while adult patients showed no differences compared to adult HC (pFDR ≤ 0.724). Adult...