Opinion
Video
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The CLIMB Study
Tanuja Chitnis, MD, discusses the CLIMB database and study to identify predictors of future disease and determine the effect of treatment on progressions and disability.
Tanuja Chitnis, MD, discusses findings from the CLIMB study, a longitudinal natural history study focused on monitoring over 2,000 MS patients. Key insights include the correlation between early neurofilament light chain (NFL) levels and long-term prognosis, such as brain atrophy, thalamic atrophy, and the number of lesions at 10 years. Additionally, the study explores the inflammatory nature of MS in younger patients, as reflected in higher NFL levels during attacks.
Tanuja Chitnis, MD, mentions a novel aspect of the CLIMB study related to treatment discontinuation. Patients who decided to stop treatment were monitored for changes in NFL levels, with an increase predicting future disease activity and disability.
The discussion shifts to the need for studying for NFL as a biomarker. Experts emphasize the importance of investigating whether NFL changes precede other indicators like MRI or clinical activity, proposing a large-scale study to establish the predictability of NFL in relation to other markers.
Video synopsis is AI-generated and reviewed by HCPLive® editorial staff.
