{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,1]],"date-time":"2026-04-01T22:27:50Z","timestamp":1775082470681,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,1]],"date-time":"2026-02-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1769904000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,7]],"date-time":"2026-02-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1770422400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":6,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"funder":[{"name":"Klinikum der Universit\u00e4t M\u00fcnchen"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["J Neurol"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,2]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>\n                    Early detection and monitoring of neurodegenerative processes in persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) is currently a major challenge. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is an emerging method to visualize retinal vascular architecture. However, its use has mainly been investigated in relapsing MS. We evaluated OCTA as a possible complementary method in progressive MS (PMS) in a monocentric, retrospective, cross-sectional study. Eyes with evidence of optic neuritis were excluded from analysis. OCTA images acquired using a Spectralis OCT (Heidelberg Engineering) were analyzed with an established deep learning-based segmentation algorithm. After rigorous quality control, 85 eyes of 62 PwPMS were compared with 64 eyes of 43 age and gender-matched healthy controls (HC). The vessel density in the superficial vascular complex (VD\n                    <jats:sub>SVC<\/jats:sub>\n                    (%)) was reduced in PMS compared to HC (\n                    <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u2009=\u20090.018). VD\n                    <jats:sub>SVC<\/jats:sub>\n                    correlated negatively with age in PwPMS and HC. Using a Johnson\u2013Neyman analysis, we identified that the disease duration influences the VD\n                    <jats:sub>SVC<\/jats:sub>\n                    in PMS individuals\u2009&lt;\u200957.5\u00a0years of age. PwPMS with disease duration\u2009&gt;\u200910\u00a0years had reduced VD\n                    <jats:sub>SVC<\/jats:sub>\n                    compared to subjects with\u2009\u2264\u20095\u00a0years of disease duration (\n                    <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u2009=\u20090.049) (corrected for age). Clinical disability (EDSS) negatively correlated with VD\n                    <jats:sub>SVC<\/jats:sub>\n                    in PwPMS (\n                    <jats:italic>\u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u2009=\u2009\u22120.487,\n                    <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u2009=\u20090.010). These results suggest that OCTA might be suitable to detect retinal vascular changes in PwPMS. One consequence could be structured and harmonized OCTA investigations as part of routine clinical practice. External validation and longitudinal studies are necessary to further elaborate OCTA\u00b4s potential in monitoring PwPMS.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1007\/s00415-026-13659-7","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,7]],"date-time":"2026-02-07T17:34:43Z","timestamp":1770485683000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["The potential of optical coherence tomography angiography in progressive multiple sclerosis"],"prefix":"10.1007","volume":"273","author":[{"given":"Jonathan A.","family":"Gernert","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Hanna","family":"Zausinger","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Luca","family":"Diedrich","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rebecca","family":"Wicklein","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Linus","family":"Kreitner","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Tania","family":"K\u00fcmpfel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Joachim","family":"Havla","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,7]]},"reference":[{"issue":"1","key":"13659_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"78","DOI":"10.1016\/S1474-4422(22)00289-7","volume":"22","author":"T Kuhlmann","year":"2023","unstructured":"Kuhlmann T et al (2023) Multiple sclerosis progression: time for a new mechanism-driven framework. 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RW received a poster award from Novartis. TK received speaker honoraria and\/or personal fees for advisory boards from Novartis Pharma, Roche Pharma, Alexion\/Astra Zeneca, Horizon Therapeutics\/Amgen, Merck, Chugai Pharma and Biogen. The Institution she works for has received compensation for serving as a member of a steering committee from Roche. TK is a site principal investigator in several randomized clinical trials (Novartis Pharma, Roche Pharma, BMS and Sanofi Genzyme) and in randomized clinical trials supported by the BMBf (funding code: 01GM1908E) and her institution has received compensation for clinical trials all outside the present work. TK is Part of the managing board of the German TK Part of the managing board of the German \u201ckrankheitsbezogenes Kompetenznetz Multiple Sklerose\u201d (KKNMS) and of the German Neuromyelitis Optica Study Group (NEMOS)\u2014both unpaid. JH: reported grants for OCT research from the Sumaira Foundation, Horizon\/Amgen, Roche and Merck, personal consulting fees and honoraria from Alexion, Amgen, Merck, Novartis, Neuraxpharm, Johnson&Johnson, Rewind Therapeutics and Roche and nonfinancial support of the Sumaira Foundation and Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation, all outside the submitted work.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Conflict of interest"}}],"article-number":"118"}}