Neurológia pre prax 3/2016

NEDA-4 concept as a treatment outcome in multiple sclerosis patients

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic potentially disabling disease of the central nervous system (CNS) with underlying focal and diffuse pathology. Current therapeutic options are based on administration of methylprednisolon during relapse and chronic treatment with disease modifying drugs (DMD). These drugs highly influence focal pathology represented by immune inflammation, but are less effective on diffuse pathology represented by neuro-degeneration and axonal loss which is however this part of MS pathophysiology that has major prognostic impact for MS patient. NEDA-4 concept (no evidence of disease activity) brings a new insight to MS treatment outcomes by introduction of the “freedom of the disease” principle (i.e. absence of disease activity and progression in both clinical and radiological point of view) and inclusion of assessment of brain atrophy which correlates with diffuse changes of the CNS. Achievement of long-term NEDA-4 is an important goal of MS treatment in individual patients.

Keywords: multiple sclerosis, NEDA-concept, brain atrophy.