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Background Central neuropathic extremity pain (CNEP) is the most frequent type of pain in multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of the present study was to evaluate sensory and pain modulation profiles in MS patients with CNEP. Methods In a single‐centre observational study, a group of 56 CNEP MS patients was compared with 63 pain‐free MS patients and with a sex‐ and age‐adjusted control group. Standardized quantitative sensory testing (QST) and dynamic QST (dQST) protocols comprising temporal summation and conditioned pain modulation tests were used to compare sensory profiles. Results Loss‐type QST abnormalities in both thermal and mechanical QST modalities prevailed in both MS subgroups and correlated significantly with higher degree of disability expressed as Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). Comparison of sensory phenotypes disclosed a higher frequency of the ‘sensory loss’ prototypic sensory phenotype in the CNEP subgroup (30%) compared with pain‐free MS patients (6%; p = .003). Conclusion The role of aging process and higher lesion load in the spinothalamocortical pathway might be possible explanation for pain development in this particular ‘deafferentation’ subtype of central neuropathic pain in MS. We were unable to support the role of central sensitization or endogenous facilitatory and inhibitory mechanisms in the development of CNEP in MS. Significance This article presents higher prevalence of the ‘sensory loss’ prototypic sensory phenotype in multiple sclerosis patients with central extremity neuropathic pain compared to pain‐free patients. Higher degree of disability underlines the possible role of higher lesion load in the somatosensory pathways in this particular ‘deafferentation’ type of central neuropathic pain.

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BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE This study's aim was to investigate diffusion properties of the cervical spinal cord in patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) through analysis of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data and thereby to assess the capacity of this technique for predicting the progression of CIS to clinically definite multiple sclerosis (CDMS). METHODS The study groups were comprised of 47 patients with CIS (15 of them with progression to CDMS within 2 years of follow‐up) and 57 asymptomatic controls. All patients and controls had undergone magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the cervical spine including DTI and brain MRI. Methodological approaches included histogram analysis of the cervical cord's diffusion parameters and evaluation of T2 hyperintense lesions of the spinal cord and brain. All parameters were compared between the study groups. Sensitivity and specificity calculations were then performed with a view to predicting conversion to CDMS. RESULTS The patient subgroups defined by progression to CDMS differed significantly in values of fractional anisotropy (FA) kurtosis measured within white matter (WM) and normal‐appearing WM (NAWM). The same parameters also differed significantly when patients with progression to CDMS were compared to healthy controls. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed sensitivity and specificity of FA kurtosis of WM and NAWM of 93% and 72%, respectively, in terms of predicting CIS to CDMS progression. CONCLUSION This study presents evidence that histogram analysis of diffusion parameters of the cervical spinal cord in patients with CIS may be helpful in predicting conversion to CDMS.

Some muscular dystrophies may have a negative impact on fertility. A decreased ovarian reserve is 1 of the factors assumed to be involved in fertility impairment. AMH (anti-Müllerian hormone) is currently considered the best measure of ovarian reserve. A total of 21 females with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (MD1), 25 females with myotonic dystrophy type 2 (MD2), 12 females with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), 12 female carriers of Duchenne muscular dystrophy mutations (cDMD) and 86 age-matched healthy controls of reproductive age (range 18 – 44 years) were included in this case control study. An enzymatically amplified 2-site immunoassay was used to measure serum AMH level. The MD1 group shows a significant decrease of AMH values (median 0.7 ng/mL; range 0 – 4.9 ng/mL) compared with age-matched healthy controls (P < .01). AMH levels were similar between patients and controls in terms of females with MD2 (P = .98), FSHD (P = .55) and cDMD (P = .60). This study suggests decreased ovarian reserve in women with MD1, but not in MD2, FSHD and cDMD.