Spinal Cord Atrophy Predicts Progressive Disease in Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis.

"Potential Conflicts of Interest The following companies that have had financial relationships with authors manufacture disease modifying drugs for MS that were mentioned in this study: Bayer Schering, Biogen, EMD Serono, Genentech, Genzyme, F. Hoffmann‐La Roche Ltd, Mylan Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Sanofi, Teva Pharmaceuticals. R.M.B. has received personal compensation for medical legal consulting and for consulting or serving on the advisory boards of F. Hoffmann‐La Roche Ltd, Sanofi‐Genzyme, and Novartis. J.M.G. reports consulting fees from Biogen and research support from Genentech. D.S.G. has received research support and given lectures on MS and its treatment that have been sponsored by Biogen Idec, Bayer Schering, Novartis, E.M.D. Serono, Genzyme, and Teva pharmaceuticals. J.S.G. reports personal fees from Novartis and Genentech and grants from Biogen, and E.M.D. Serono. A.J.G. reports personal fees from Mylan Pharmaceuticals, and grants from Novartis, and payments for serving on committees for Biogen and Novartis. E.W. has received research support from Novartis and Roche. MRW receives research support from Roche/Genentech. S.S.Z. has served as a consultant and received honoraria from Biogen‐Idec, EMD‐Serono, Genzyme, Novartis, Roche/Genentech, and Teva Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and has served on Data Safety Monitoring Boards for Teva. B.A.C.C. has received personal compensation for consulting from Biogen, E.M.D. Serono, and Novartis. R.G.H. received grants from Hoffmann La Roche, and consultancy honoraria from Roche/Genentech, Sanofi/Genzyme, and Novartis. S.L.H. has received travel reimbursement and writing assistance from F. Hoffman‐La Roche Ltd. and Novartis Pharma. A.G., A.B., N.P., A.K., A.R., G.K., J.M.M., X.Z., C.A., S.S., T.J.G., C.Z., W.A.S., E.C., Y.Z., R.G., N.R.R., A.S., A.H.Z., J.J., C.J.B., E.C. and J.R.O. have nothing to disclose."

"We are deeply grateful to the patients for their long‐term participation in this ambitious study. This study was supported by a gift from the Ostby Foundation (RGH), the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (R35NS111644, SLH; RO1NS26799, SLH, JRO; K23 NS048869, BACC), the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (RG‐1707‐28775, RGH), the Valhalla Foundation, and gifts from Friends of the Multiple Sclerosis Research Group at UCSF. AB was supported by the Freiwillige Akademische Gesellschaft, Switzerland, and the Gottfried and Julia Bangerter‐Rhyner Stiftung, Switzerland. We would like to thank Whitaker Evans, UCSF library, for assistance with the literature search and all UCSF researchers and staff who contributed to this study."