Table 1.
Main demographic, clinical, and structural MRI characteristics of the control subjects and pediatric patients with MS, first considered as a whole and then divided into cognitively preserved (CP) and cognitively impaired (CI) MS patients
| Healthy controls | Pediatric MS patients | CP MS patients | CI MS patients | P‐valuea | P‐valueb | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys/girls | 11/16 | 16/28 | 9/19 | 7/9 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| Mean age (years) (range) | 15.3 (9.4–18) | 15.1 (7.6–18) | 15.0 (11–18) | 15.1 (7.6–18) | 0.5 | 0.7 |
| Median EDSS (range) | — | 1.5 (0.0–4.0) | 1.0 (0.0–2.5) | 1.5 (0.0–4.0) | — | 0.4 |
| Mean disease duration (years) (range) | — | 1.9 (0.5–8.1) | 1.4 (0.5–4.9) | 2.8 (0.5–8.1) | — | 0.03 |
| Mean brain T2 LV (mL) (SD) | — | 4.8 (6.7) | 3.0 (2.1) | 7.6 (10.1) | — | 0.2 |
| Mean BPF (%) (SD) | 0.85 (0.01) | 0.84 (0.01) | 0.84 (0.01) | 0.83 (0.01) | 0.10 | 0.09 |
| Mean white matter fraction (%) (SD) | 0.35 (0.01) | 0.35 (0.01) | 0.35 (0.01) | 0.34 (0.01) | 0.9 | 0.3 |
| Mean GMF (%) (SD) | 0.50 (0.01) | 0.49 (0.01) | 0.49 (0.01) | 0.49 (0.01) | 0.12 | 0.3 |
| Average lesion FA (SD) | — | 0.33 (0.03) | 0.33 (0.03) | 0.33 (0.03) | — | 0.8 |
| Average lesion MD (mm2/s−1) (SD) | — | 1.01 (0.08) | 1.01 (0.09) | 1.02 (0.04) | — | 0.09 |
| Mean normal‐appearing white matter FA (SD) | 0.41 (0.02) | 0.38 (0.03) | 0.39 (0.02) | 0.36 (0.03) | <0.001 | <0.001 |
| Mean normal‐appearing white matter MD (mm2/s−1) (SD) | 0.79 (0.02) | 0.79 (0.02) | 0.79 (0.01) | 0.80 (0.04) | 0.9 | 0.3 |
| Mean GM MD (mm2/s−1) (SD) | 0.87 (0.02) | 0.89 (0.03) | 0.89 (0.02) | 0.90 (0.04) | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| Mean GM FA (SD) | 0.17 (0.01) | 0.17 (0.02) | 0.17 (0.01) | 0.18 (0.02) | 0.7 | 0.6 |
a
Mann–Whitney U‐test.
b
Kruskall and Wallis test.
Abbreviations: EDSS, expanded disability status scale; LV, lesion volume; BPF, brain parenchymal fraction; GMF, gray matter fraction; FA, fractional anisotropy; MD, mean diffusivity; GM, gray matter.