Biomarkers and MRI Use in Patients With MS: Oliver Tobin, MBBCh, BAO, PhD

“I think the MAGNIMS standard is helpful in giving everyone a common baseline as to what should be expected for a baseline evaluation and subsequent evaluations as well.”

At the recent Institutional Perspectives in Neurology: Multiple Sclerosis With Brian Weinshenker, MD, Oliver Tobin, MBBCh, BAO, PhD, associate professor of neurology, Mayo Clinic Rochester, commented on common biomarkers for the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS), as well as new consensus guidelines for the use of MRI in patients with MS. Speaking about his presentation at the virtual event with NeurologyLive, Tobin discussed the ongoing issue of misdiagnosis, as well as how diagnostic principles such as patients’ initial presentation, and paraclinical markers such as spinal fluid analysis, neural antibodies, MRI, and examination should be considered to see if they are consistent with an MS diagnosis.

Recent consensus guidelines, developed and published by the Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Multiple Sclerosis study group; the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers; and the North America Imaging in Multiple Sclerosis MRI Guidelines working group, offer standardized protocol for the use of MRI in MS, which Tobin considers helpful in relation to diagnosis and monitoring of MS. Tobin further emphasized incorporating brain imaging, as well as thoracic spinal imaging, which is often under underutilized in MS patients. 

For more coverage of the Institutional Perspectives in Neurology: Multiple Sclerosis With Brian Weinshenker, MD, click here.