Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
12. ANATOMİ KIŞ GÜNLERİ 29 Ocak – 1 Şubat 2025 Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi, Bursa, Türkiye, 29 Ocak - 01 Şubat 2025, ss.19, (Özet Bildiri)
Objective: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating and neurodegenerative disease affecting central
nervous system. Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS) is the most common subtype of MS,
and subcortical volume loss is a significant marker for understanding prognosis of the disease and
neurological symptoms. This study aimed to evaluate time-dependent changes by measuring volume
differences in thalamus and nuclei basales using volBrain software on MR images of RRMS patients
taken in three different years.
Materials and Methods: The study included 50 RRMS patients (age: 33.5 ± 6.3 years; 68% female, 32%
male) and 50 healthy controls (age: 38.0 ± 5.8 years; 64% female, 36% male). T1-weighted brain MR
images from 2017, 2019, and 2022 of RRMS patients and the most recent MR images of the control group
were analyzed using volBrain software. Patients were divided into two groups based on disease duration:
0-5 years (52%) and 5-10 years (48%). Statistical analyses included Shapiro-Wilk test for normality,
Mann-Whitney U, Friedman, and Dunn tests.
Results: Volumes of the thalamus, nucleus caudatus, and nucleus lentiformis in RRMS group were
significantly lower compared to the control group (p<0.05). Significant volume loss was observed
between the 1st and 3rd MR and the 2nd and 3rd MR (p<0.05), but the difference between the 1st and
2nd MR was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Volume loss rates were calculated as 5.49% for the
thalamus, 5.64% for the nucleus caudatus, and 4.35% for the nucleus lentiformis. Atrophy was observed
across disease duration groups, but this difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05).
Conclusion: Volume losses in the thalamus and nuclei basales indicate significant atrophy in these
structures in RRMS patients. MS has been shown to cause subcortical atrophy, affecting brain structure
and function. VolBrain software, with its speed, accuracy, and reliability, distinguishes this study in
literature and provides clinically relevant data.