Objectives.
The goals of this protocol are to study the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis (MS), primarily through small studies that utilize magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and to correlate the results with clinical and biological measures. The protocol includes only techniques with minimal risk (standard and quantitative clinical evaluation, MRI, blood draws, saliva testing, urine and stool collection, visual evoked potentials, ophthalmologic evaluation) or more-than-minimal risk (injection of approved gadolinium-based contrast agents, lumbar punctures) that are appropriate and common in this study population. Under this protocol, we will conduct:
* Pilot substudies. These studies are exploratory and hypothesis generating. Once sufficient data are collected to justify a hypothesis-driven study and a formal power analysis, further work will continue under either a dedicated protocol or, if appropriate, a hypothesis-testing substudy. There are no enrollment limitations for pilot substudies.
* Hypothesis-testing substudy. These studies have a specific hypothesis that can be tested with at most 6 participants per arm. If additional participants are required, a memo will be sent to the Protocol Review Committee (PIRC) and its statistical reviewer to request review of a hypothesis-testing substudy for possible additional enrollment.The memo will also be forwarded to the IRB.
* Individual patient substudies. These studies seek to increase knowledge of a disease process or to assist in the diagnosis of an individual patient.
* Technique development substudies. These studies will lay the groundwork for new experimental paradigms, using the methods approved under this protocol, which can be further tested in the substudies listed above.
* Training of investigators. These studies will be done to train new investigators in techniques relevant to the studies under this protocol.
Study Population
Three groups of study participants will be enrolled:
* MS patients. Participants with definite, probable, or possible MS.
* Patient controls. Participants with diseases that share features with MS.
* Healthy volunteers.
Design
We will design small substudies as ideas arise in the course of our work that are pertinent to the theme of the pathophysiology of MS (or of diseases that share features with MS). If a hypothesis testing sub-study leads to results of interest and if a larger population is necessary to reach statistical significance, a separate protocol will be submitted with a priori hypotheses, specific study design and power analysis adapted from the pilot or exploratory substudies performed in the present protocol.
Outcome Measures
These will include MRI, clinical, and biological outcome measures consistent with the objectives of the study and its investigators. Imaging measures will focus on features related to the central nervous system (CNS), particularly focal lesions. Clinical measures will include standard and established MS disability scales as well as quantitative measures related to function. Biological measures will include genotype, gene expression, proteomics, virological studies, and immunological profiling.
