Multiple Sclerosis: Herndon RM

Haselkorn JK, Balsdon Richer C, Fry Welch D, Herndon RM, Johnson B, Little JW, Miller JR, Rosenberg JH, Seidle ME, Anonymous00236. · MS Center of Excellence West, Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, USA. · J Spinal Cord Med. · Pubmed #15889701 No free full text.

This publication has no abstract.

Herndon RM. · Department of Neurology, University of Mississippi Medical School, Jackson, USA. · Adv Neurol. · Pubmed #16400833 No free full text.

Abstract: Even with all the newer diagnostic tools, including MRI with multiple sequences, evoked potentials, CSF studies, and so forth, multiple sclerosis remains a clinical diagnosis. In the past it was, to a large extent, a wastebasket diagnosis. Since we really could not do much about it, if our diagnosis was wrong it really didn't matter a great deal. Now, with an increasing number of effective therapies and with good therapies for some of the MS mimics, accurate diagnosis is a must. In addition to the cost of treatment, many of the current treatments such as Mitoxantrone (Novantrone) are not benign and we should not subject our patients to unnecessary harmful therapies.

Rudick RA, Goodman A, Herndon RM, Panitch HS. · Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research, Department of Neurology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, OH 44106, USA. · J Neuroimmunol. · Pubmed #10426358 No free full text.

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Herndon RM, Rudick RA, Munschauer FE, Mass MK, Salazar AM, Coats ME, Labutta R, Richert JR, Cohan SL, Genain C, Goodkin D, Toal M, Riester K. · University of Mississippi, VA Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA. · Mult Scler. · Pubmed #16042223 No free full text.

Abstract: An open-label extension study of the phase III trial of intramuscular interferon beta-1a (IFNbeta-1a-Avonex) was conducted to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of IFNbeta-1a-Avonex over six years in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS). Patients who participated in the pivotal phase III study were offered enrolment; entry was also open to patients who had not participated. All patients received IFNbeta-1a-Avonex 30 microg intramuscularly once weekly for six years, for a treatment duration of up to eight years in patients who received IFNbeta-1a-Avonex in the phase III trial. Serum levels of IFNbeta antibodies were measured every six months using a screening enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) followed by an antiviral cytopathic effect assay to detect neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) in serum samples positive on ELISA. The incidence of adverse events and laboratory test results assessed safety. Of 382 total patients, 218 had participated in the phase III study (103 placebo, 115 IFNbeta-1a-Avonex) and 164 had not participated; 24 of the 164 were IFNbeta-naïve. At baseline, 281 patients were negative for IFNbeta antibodies (NAb-). NAbs (titre > or = 20) developed at any time over six years in 5% of these patients. Of 140 patients who had been on IFNbeta-1b-Betaseron, 49 were positive for NAbs (NAb+) at baseline; 11 of 115 who had been on IFNbeta-1a-Avonex were NAb+ at baseline. Thirty-nine of 49 patients who had been on Betaseron and were NAb+ had titres < 100; 36 of these 39 seroconverted to NAb- while on IFNbeta-1a-Avonex, with a median time of approximately six months. Ten patients who had been on Betaseron had NAb titres > or = 100; five remained NAb+ during six years on IFNbeta-1a-Avonex and five seroconverted to NAb-, but only after at least two years. Five patients who had been on IFNbeta-1a-Avonex during the clinical trial were NAb+ with titres < 100 at baseline; four seroconverted to NAb-, with a median time of two to three years. Six patients who had been on IFNbeta-1a-Avonex had NAb titres > or = 100; five of these remained NAb+ at six years. No patient with a NAb titre > 1000 seroconverted to NAb-, whether initially treated with IFNbeta-1a-Avonex or -Betaseron. Adverse events were similar to those observed in the pivotal phase III trial. Results from this trial indicated that IFNbeta-1a-Avonex was associated with a low incidence of NAbs and was well tolerated for up to eight years. Further, the results indicate that persistence of NAbs is dependent on titre and IFNbeta product.

Simon JH, Lull J, Jacobs LD, Rudick RA, Cookfair DL, Herndon RM, Richert JR, Salazar AM, Sheeder J, Miller D, McCabe K, Serra A, Campion MK, Fischer JS, Goodkin DE, Simonian N, Lajaunie M, Wende K, Martens-Davidson A, Kinkel RP, Munschauer FE. · Department of Radiology-MRI, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, USA. · Neurology. · Pubmed #10908888 No free full text.

Abstract: BACKGROUND: T1 hypointense lesions (T1 black holes) are focal areas of relatively severe CNS tissue damage detected by MRI in patients with MS. OBJECTIVE: To determine the natural history of T1 hypointense lesions in relapsing MS and the utility of T1 hypointense lesions as outcome measures in MS clinical trials. METHODS: MR studies were from the Multiple Sclerosis Collaborative Research Group trial. Longitudinal results are reported in 80 placebo- and 80 interferon beta-1a (IFNbeta-1a)-treated patients with mild to moderate disability relapsing-remitting MS. RESULTS: There was a small but significant correlation between T1 hypointense lesion volume and disability at baseline and on trial (r = 0.22, r = 0.28). In placebo patients there was a 29.2% increase in the mean volume of T1 hypointense lesions (median 124.5 mm3) over 2 years (p < 0.001 for change from baseline), as compared to an 11.8% increase (median 40 mm3) in the IFNbeta-1a-treated patients (change from baseline not significant). These treatment group comparisons did not quite reach significance. The most significant contributor to change in T1 hypointense lesions was the baseline number of enhancing lesions (model r2 = 0.554). Placebo patients with more active disease, defined by enhancing lesions at baseline, were the only group to show a significant increase in T1 hypointense lesion volume from baseline. CONCLUSION: The development of T1 hypointense lesions is strongly influenced by prior inflammatory disease activity, as indicated by enhancing lesions. These results suggest that treatment with once weekly IM IFNbeta-1a (30 mcg) slows the 2-year accumulation of these lesions in the brain.

Simon JH, Jacobs LD, Campion MK, Rudick RA, Cookfair DL, Herndon RM, Richert JR, Salazar AM, Fischer JS, Goodkin DE, Simonian N, Lajaunie M, Miller DE, Wende K, Martens-Davidson A, Kinkel RP, Munschauer FE, Brownscheidle CM. · Department of Radiology-MRI, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver 80262, USA. · Neurology. · Pubmed #10408550 No free full text.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To determine if progressive brain atrophy could be detected over 1- and 2-year intervals in relapsing MS, based on annual MR studies from the Multiple Sclerosis Collaborative Research Group (MSCRG) trial of interferon beta-1a (Avonex). METHODS: All subjects had mild to moderate disability, with baseline expanded disability status scores ranging from 1.0 to 3.5, and at least two relapses in the 3 years before study entry. Atrophy measures included third and lateral ventricle width, brain width, and corpus callosum area. RESULTS: Significant increases were detected in third ventricle width at year 2 and lateral ventricle width at 1 and 2 years. Significant decreases in corpus callosum area and brain width were also observed at 1 and 2 years. Multiple regression analyses suggested that the number of gadolinium-enhancing lesions at baseline was the single significant contributor to change in third ventricle width. Atrophy over 1 and 2 years as indicated by enlargement of the third and lateral ventricle and shrinkage of the corpus callosum was greater for patients entering the trial with enhancing lesions. Greater disability increments over 1 and 2 years were associated with more severe third ventricle enlargement. CONCLUSION: In patients with relapsing MS and only mild to moderate disability, significant cerebral atrophy is already developing that can be measured over periods of only 1 to 2 years. The course of cerebral atrophy in MS appears to be influenced by prior inflammatory disease activity as indicated by the presence of enhancing lesions. Brain atrophy measures are important markers of MS disease progression because they likely reflect destructive and irreversible pathologic processes.

Rudick RA, Cookfair DL, Simonian NA, Ransohoff RM, Richert JR, Jacobs LD, Herndon RM, Salazar AM, Fischer JS, Granger CV, Goodkin DE, Simon JH, Bartoszak DM, Bourdette DN, Braiman J, Brownscheidle CM, Coats ME, Cohan SL, Dougherty DS, Kinkel RP, Mass MK, Munchsauer FE, O'Reilly K, Priore RL, Whitham RH. · Mellen Center For Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research, Department of Neurology, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, OH 44106, USA. · J Neuroimmunol. · Pubmed #10378864 No free full text.

Abstract: BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: This report provides results of CSF analyses done in a subset of relapsing remitting MS patients participating in a placebo-controlled, double-blind, phase III clinical trial of IFNbeta-Studies supported by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (grants RG2019, RG2827),a (Avonex , Biogen). The clinical trial demonstrated that IFNbeta-1a treatment resulted in significantly reduced disability progression, annual relapse rate, and new brain lesions visualized by cranial magnetic resonance imaging. The objectives of the current study were to determine: (a) whether CSF abnormalities in MS patients correlated with disease or MRI characteristics, and (b) effects of IFNbeta-1a therapy on these CSF abnormalities. METHODS: CSF was analyzed from 262 (87%) of the 301 study subjects at entry into the clinical trial, and a second CSF sample was analyzed from 137 of these 262 subjects after 2 years of therapy. CSF cell counts, oligoclonal bands (OCB), IgG index, and free kappa light chains were measured using standard assays. Baseline CSF results were compared with demographic, disease, and MRI parameters. Differences in on-study relapse rate, gadolinium enhancement, and EDSS change according to baseline CSF status was used to determine the predictive value of CSF for subsequent clinical and MRI disease activity. Change in CSF parameters after 104 weeks were used to determine the effects of treatment. RESULTS: (1) At study baseline, 37% of the subjects had abnormal CSF WBC counts, 61% had abnormal levels of CSF free kappa light chains, 84% had abnormal IgG index values, and 90% were positive for OCB. (2) Baseline IgG index, kappa light chains, and OCB showed weakly positive, statistically significant correlations with Gd-enhanced lesion volume and T2 lesion volume. WBC showed a statistically significant correlation with Gd-enhancing lesion volume but was uncorrelated with T2 lesion volume. (3) There was an associated between baseline CSF WBC counts and on-study clinical and MRI disease activity in placebo recipients. (4) IFNbeta-1a treatment resulted in significantly reduced CSF WBC counts, but there was no treatment-related change in CSF IgG index, kappa light chains, or OCB, which remained relatively stable over time in both patient groups. CONCLUSIONS: The current study documents significant reductions in CSF WBC counts in patients treated with IFNbeta-1a for 104 weeks. This finding is considered relevant to the therapeutic response, since CSF WBC counts were found to be positively correlated with subsequent clinical and MRI disease activity in placebo-treated relapsing MS patients.

Cummings JL, Arciniegas DB, Brooks BR, Herndon RM, Lauterbach EC, Pioro EP, Robinson RG, Scharre DW, Schiffer RB, Weintraub D. · Alzheimer's Disease Center, Department of Neurology at David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA. · CNS Spectr. · Pubmed #16816786 links to  free full text

Abstract: Uncontrollable episodes of emotional expression occur in a variety of neurological conditions. This emotional disinhibition syndrome is characterized by episodes of crying or laughing that are unrelated to or out of proportion to the eliciting stimulus. This syndrome is common among patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and traumatic brain injury and a variety of terms and definitions have been used to describe it. The confusing nomenclature has been a barrier to understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of this disorder. The authors propose a unifying term, involuntary emotional expression disorder (IEED), and provide diagnostic criteria for this disorder.

Rudick RA, Goodkin DE, Jacobs LD, Cookfair DL, Herndon RM, Richert JR, Salazar AM, Fischer JS, Granger CV, Simon JH, Alam JJ, Simonian NA, Campion MK, Bartoszak DM, Bourdette DN, Braiman J, Brownscheidle CM, Coats ME, Cohan SL, Dougherty DS, Kinkel RP, Mass MK, Munschauer FE, Priore RL, Pullicino PM, Scherokman BJ, Weistock-Guttman B, Whitham RH, Anonymous00280. · No affiliation provided · Neurology. · Pubmed #11902591 No free full text.

This publication has no abstract.

Herndon RM. · Department of Neurology, Mail Stop 127, Sonny V. Montgomery Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 1500 E Woodrow Wilson Dr, Jackson, MS 39216, USA. · Arch Neurol. · Pubmed #11843703 links to  free full text

Abstract: Secondary progressive multiple sclerosis is a relentlessly progressive, usually ascending, disease process. Once secondary progression begins, regardless of how long the disease was present before secondary progression began, patients appear to progress at a uniform rate. Recent studies show that it responds poorly to medications effective in relapsing remitting disease, although these drugs decrease relapses and have a substantial effect on lesions seen on magnetic resonance imaging. Disruption of axonal transport is known to occur in demyelinated fibers. Synapses, vacated when axons are destroyed, cause sprouting in surviving terminal axons, resulting in metabolic overload in the terminal axons. This noninflammatory process would not be expected to be altered by current disease-altering therapies.

Fischer JS, Priore RL, Jacobs LD, Cookfair DL, Rudick RA, Herndon RM, Richert JR, Salazar AM, Goodkin DE, Granger CV, Simon JH, Grafman JH, Lezak MD, O'Reilly Hovey KM, Perkins KK, Barilla-Clark D, Schacter M, Shucard DW, Davidson AL, Wende KE, Bourdette DN, Kooijmans-Coutinho MF. · Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research, Cleveland Clinic, OH, USA. · Ann Neurol. · Pubmed #11117545 No free full text.

Abstract: Cognitive dysfunction is common in multiple sclerosis (MS), yet few studies have examined effects of treatment on neuropsychological (NP) performance. To evaluate the effects of interferon beta-1a (IFNbeta-1a, 30 microg administered intramuscularly once weekly [Avonex]) on cognitive function, a Comprehensive NP Battery was administered at baseline and week 104 to relapsing MS patients in the phase III study, 166 of whom completed both assessments. A Brief NP Battery was also administered at 6-month intervals. The primary NP outcome measure was 2-year change on the Comprehensive NP Battery, grouped into domains of information processing and learning/memory (set A), visuospatial abilities and problem solving (set B), and verbal abilities and attention span (set C). NP effects were most pronounced in cognitive domains vulnerable to MS: IFNbeta-1a had a significant beneficial effect on the set A composite, with a favorable trend evident on set B. Secondary outcome analyses revealed significant between-group differences in slopes for Brief NP Battery performance and time to sustained deterioration in a Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test processing rate, favoring the IFNbeta-1a group. These results support and extend previous observations of significant beneficial effects of IFNbeta-1a for relapsing MS.

Herndon RM. · No affiliation provided · Arch Neurol. · Pubmed #10714676 links to  free full text

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Herndon RM. · No affiliation provided · Lancet. · Pubmed #9989739 No free full text.

This publication has no abstract.