Table 1.

Patient background and clinical course in MS and NMOSD.

	MS (n = 62)	NMOSD (n = 33)	p-value
Male:Female	12:50	3:30	0.25
Onset age (mean ± SD)	29.9 ± 8.6	48.5 ± 13.8	< 0.0001
Total EDSS follow-up period (person-year)	337	229	–
EDSS follow-up years per capita (median, IQR)	6 (3–7)	7 (5–9)	0.0460
Cross-sectional EDSS
EDSS at 5 years from onset (median, IQR)	1.5 (1.0–2.0; n = 53)	3.0 (2.0–5.0; n = 31)	< 0.0001
EDSS at 10 years from onset (median, IQR)	1.5 (1.0–2.0; n = 20)	4.5 (3.0–6.5; n = 18)	0.0002
EDSS annual deterioration (person-year)
Total	28/337 (8.3%)	20/229 (8.7%)	0.86
(With relapse)	11 (3.3%)	13 (5.7%)	0.16
(Without relapse)	17 (5.0%)	7 (3.1%)	0.29
EDSS annual improvement (person-year)
Total	32/337 (9.5%)	4/229 (1.7%)	0.0001
(With relapses)	5 (1.5%)	2 (0.9%)	0.71
(Without relapses)	27 (8.0%)	2 (0.9%)	< 0.0001
EDSS annually unchanged (person-year)
Total	277/337 (82.2%)	205/229 (89.5%)	0.0161
(With relapses)	22 (6.5%)	8 (3.5%)	0.13
(Without relapses)	255 (75.7%)	197 (86.0%)	0.0026

All EDSS scores were evaluated in the chronic phase more than 3 months after the last clinical episodes; the scores within 3 months from the last episodes were not used in this study.

EDSS Expanded Disability Status Scale, IQR interquartile range (25–75 percentile), MS multiple sclerosis, NMOSD neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders, SD standard deviation.