Uncovering the Impact of Social Determinants on Brain Health in MS Patients: A Clinical Perspective

At the 2024 Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) Annual Meeting, NeurologyLive interviewed MS expert Donald Negroski, MD to discuss key presentations and data related to treatment switches and aging in MS. Negroski shared his clinical perspective on various presentations, highlighting how the findings could impact care moving forward.

During the discussion, Negroski focused on a groundbreaking study that explored the impact of health care-related social determinants of health on brain structure and aging in MS patients. The study, which included 35 patients with a majority being non-White, used special scans to calculate accelerated brain aging by measuring cortical thickness. The researchers sought to understand how factors like access to healthcare and health literacy influenced brain health in MS.

Negroski emphasized the significance of the study findings, noting that patients who faced challenges in accessing healthcare demonstrated more evidence of brain shrinkage in specific areas. He speculated that this outcome could be influenced by various factors such as comorbidities, lack of routine healthcare visits, and issues with medication adherence. Moving forward, he suggested that efforts should be directed towards addressing these disparities to improve outcomes for MS patients.