Black Americans with MS experience a higher disease burden than White patients, according to a study published in Neurology. Researchers compared MS characteristics, including self- reported disability, objective neurologic function assessments, and quantitative brain MRI mea- surements, for Black and White participants in the Multiple Sclerosis Partners Advancing Tech- nology Health Solutions study. Black adults with MS had worse self-reported disability, as well as worse performances on tests of cognitive process- ing speed, walking, and manual dexterity. Addi- tionally, Black patients with MS had more brain MRI lesions and lower overall and gray matter brain volumes, including reduced thalamic, cor- tical, and deep gray matter volumes. Socioeco- nomic status was not associated with differences in cognitive processing, walking, or manual dex- terity speeds. “Future studies should consider the role of unmeasured factors like systemic racism to see if they may play a role in greater disability among Black patients with MS,” a coauthor said in a statement. “These results also reinforce the need for more diverse clinical trials and research focusing on treatment strategies specifically for Black people to identify whether certain thera- pies or more aggressive early treatment could help slow down disability over time.”
