SARS-CoV-2 Is Linked to Brain Volume Loss in Multiple Sclerosis

Objective: The impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on brain and spinal cord pathology in patients with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) remains unclear. We aimed to describe changes in brain lesion activity and brain and spinal cord volumes following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: We included 177 pwMS (570 MRI scans) diagnosed with and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection between August 2020 and May 2021. All patients were free of clinical disease activity, disease-modifying therapy changes, and corticosteroids during the study. MRI scans were performed using a standardized protocol on a 3-Tesla scanner. We analyzed the effect of SARS-CoV-2 on brain lesion load accrual and brain and spinal cord volume measures using adjusted mixed-effect models. Results: During SARS-CoV-2 infection, patients had a median disease duration of 14.2 years, a median age of 44.9 years, and a median Expanded Disability Status Scale of 2.0. SARS-CoV-2 infection did not lead to any changes in the number or volume of T1 or T2 lesions in the brain. However, SARS-CoV-2 was associated with an increased whole brain (B = −0.17; SE = 0.08; p = 0.028), grey matter (B = −0.25; SE = 0.12; p = 0.040), and cortical grey matter volume loss (B = −0.32; SE = 0.13; p = 0.014). Greater ventricular enlargement following SARS-CoV-2 infection was evident only in individuals over the age of 40 (interaction of age vs. ventricular enlargement: B = 0.17; SE = 0.05; p = 0.0003). Only patients with more severe SARS-CoV-2 infection showed a reduction in mean upper cervical cord area (MUCCA) (B = 1.14; SE = 0.52; p = 0.030). Interpretation: SARS-CoV-2 infection in clinically stable pwMS was linked to increased neuronal tissue loss.