{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,27]],"date-time":"2026-07-27T19:06:17Z","timestamp":1785179177836,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,7]],"date-time":"2025-08-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1754524800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Neurology International"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background and Objectives: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune, inflammatory, and neurodegenerative central nervous system disease. Neurodegeneration plays a central role in long-term disease progression. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between neurodegenerative biomarkers, namely plasma neurofilament light chain (pNfL) levels and MRI-derived brain volume measurements, and clinical outcomes in 49 patients with relapsing\u2013remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Plasma NfL levels were quantified using Simoa technology, while MRI data was analyzed via FreeSurfer to measure volumes of grey and white matter, specific brain structures, and ventricular sizes. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) and Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R). Disability was evaluated using the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). Results: The results indicated significant positive correlations between SDMT scores and volumes of grey matter, white matter, and various subcortical structures, suggesting that preserved brain volume is linked to better cognitive performance. Negative correlations were observed between SDMT scores and ventricular volumes, as well as between SDMT scores and EDSS scores, implying that cognitive decline corresponds with structural brain deterioration and increased disability. No significant associations were found between BVMT-R scores and imaging data or disability measures. Plasma NfL levels showed significant correlations with early disease relapses and enlargement of the third and fourth ventricles, but not with brain volume, cognitive tests, or EDSS scores. Conclusions: These findings indicate that MRI-based brain volumetrics, particularly grey and white matter measures, are stronger indicators of cognitive function and disability in RRMS than plasma NfL.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/neurolint17080123","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,7]],"date-time":"2025-08-07T10:58:26Z","timestamp":1754564306000},"page":"123","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Correlation of Neurodegenerative Biomarkers and Functional Outcome in Patients with Relapsing\u2013Remitting Multiple Sclerosis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Elina","family":"Polunosika","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Riga East University Hospital, LV-1038 Riga, Latvia"},{"name":"Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, R\u012bga Stradi\u0146\u0161 University, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Monta","family":"Feldmane","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Riga East University Hospital, LV-1038 Riga, Latvia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8056-7087","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Daina","family":"Pastare","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Riga East University Hospital, LV-1038 Riga, Latvia"},{"name":"Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, R\u012bga Stradi\u0146\u0161 University, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Joel","family":"Simren","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Molndal, Sweden"},{"name":"Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Molndal, Sweden"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kaj","family":"Blennow","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Molndal, Sweden"},{"name":"Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Molndal, Sweden"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8255-7392","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nauris","family":"Zdanovskis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiology, Riga East University Hospital, LV-1038 Riga, Latvia"},{"name":"Department of Radiology, R\u012bga Stradi\u0146\u0161 University, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Henrik","family":"Zetterberg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Molndal, Sweden"},{"name":"Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Molndal, Sweden"},{"name":"Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK"},{"name":"UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK"},{"name":"Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China"},{"name":"Wisconsin Alzheimer\u2019s Disease Research Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53792, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3674-8822","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Renars","family":"Erts","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Latvia, LV-1050 Riga, Latvia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9586-2775","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Guntis","family":"Karelis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Riga East University Hospital, LV-1038 Riga, Latvia"},{"name":"Department of Infectology, R\u012bga Stradi\u0146\u0161 University, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"a028928","DOI":"10.1101\/cshperspect.a028928","article-title":"Clinical Course of Multiple Sclerosis","volume":"8","author":"Klineova","year":"2018","journal-title":"Cold Spring Harb. 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