Correlation Between Disability Measure and Black Hole (T1 Hypointense Lesion) Lesion Load in Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of Patients With Multiple Sclerosis (MS): Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Introduction: As the role of neurodegeneration in the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) has become more prominent, the formation and evolution of chronic or persistent T1-hypointense lesions (Black Holes) have been used as markers of axonal loss and neuronal destruction to measure disease activity. However, findings regarding this subject are controversial. In this study we aim to clarify the level of importance of T1 hypointense lesions for estimating the prognosis of patients.
Methods: We will search MEDLINE (through PubMed), Embase and Web of Science for relevant studies. We will extract the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (SRCC) between the T1 hypointense lesion volume and Extended Disability Status Scale (EDSS) in participants. All included studies will be evaluated for the risk of bias. We will also perform a meta-analysis on the data. The risk of publication bias will be evaluated using Funnel plots. Finally, we will assess the confidence in cumulative evidence using an adapted version of GRADE.
Posted 22 Feb, 2021
Correlation Between Disability Measure and Black Hole (T1 Hypointense Lesion) Lesion Load in Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of Patients With Multiple Sclerosis (MS): Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Posted 22 Feb, 2021
Introduction: As the role of neurodegeneration in the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) has become more prominent, the formation and evolution of chronic or persistent T1-hypointense lesions (Black Holes) have been used as markers of axonal loss and neuronal destruction to measure disease activity. However, findings regarding this subject are controversial. In this study we aim to clarify the level of importance of T1 hypointense lesions for estimating the prognosis of patients.
Methods: We will search MEDLINE (through PubMed), Embase and Web of Science for relevant studies. We will extract the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (SRCC) between the T1 hypointense lesion volume and Extended Disability Status Scale (EDSS) in participants. All included studies will be evaluated for the risk of bias. We will also perform a meta-analysis on the data. The risk of publication bias will be evaluated using Funnel plots. Finally, we will assess the confidence in cumulative evidence using an adapted version of GRADE.