Multimodal MRI study on the relation between WM integrity and connected GM atrophy and its effect on disability in early multiple sclerosis.

"Declarations Conflicts of interestThe authors declare that there is no conflict of interest. This study was sponsored by the Dutch MS Research Foundation. M.M. Weeda reports no disclosures. D.R. van Nederpelt reports no disclosures. J.W.R. Twisk reports no disclosures. I. Brouwer has received research support from Merck, Novartis, Teva, and the Dutch MS Research Foundation. J.P.A. Kuijer reports no disclosures. M. van Dam is supported by a research grant from BMS. H.E. Hulst is an editor of the Multiple Sclerosis Journal controversies sections, receives research support from the Dutch MS Research Foundation and the Dutch Research Council. She has served as a consultant for or received research support from Atara Biotherapeutics, Biogen, Novartis, Celgene/Bristol Meyers Squibb, Sanofi Genzyme, MedDay and Merck BV (payments to institution). J. Killestein received consulting fees for F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Biogen, Teva, Merck, Novartis and Sanofi/Genzyme (payments to institution); reports speaker relationships with F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Biogen, Teva, Merck, Novartis and Sanofi/Genzyme (payments to institution); adjudication committee of MS clinical trials of Immunic (payments to institution) F. Barkhof serves on the steering committee or iDMC member for Biogen, Merck, Roche, EISAI and Prothena. He acts as a consultant for Roche, Biogen, Merck, IXICO, Jansen, Combinostics. He has research agreements with Merck, Biogen, GE Healthcare, Roche. He is co-founder and share–holder of Queen Square Analytics LTD. H. Vrenken has received research grants from Pfizer, Merck Serono, Novartis and Teva, speaker honoraria from Novartis, and consulting fees from Merck Serono; all funds were paid directly to his institution. P.J.W. Pouwels reports no disclosures. Ethical approvalThe institutional ethical standards committee on human experimentation (METc VU University Medical Center) approved the study protocol (approval number 2016.314 NL57713.029.16). The study was registered in the Netherlands Trial Register as observational non-invasive non-randomized controlled trial (ID: NTR6103). Informed consentAll participants gave written informed consent prior to participation, according to the Declaration of Helsinki. Conflicts of interest The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest. This study was sponsored by the Dutch MS Research Foundation. M.M. Weeda reports no disclosures. D.R. van Nederpelt reports no disclosures. J.W.R. Twisk reports no disclosures. I. Brouwer has received research support from Merck, Novartis, Teva, and the Dutch MS Research Foundation. J.P.A. Kuijer reports no disclosures. M. van Dam is supported by a research grant from BMS. H.E. Hulst is an editor of the Multiple Sclerosis Journal controversies sections, receives research support from the Dutch MS Research Foundation and the Dutch Research Council. She has served as a consultant for or received research support from Atara Biotherapeutics, Biogen, Novartis, Celgene/Bristol Meyers Squibb, Sanofi Genzyme, MedDay and Merck BV (payments to institution). J. Killestein received consulting fees for F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Biogen, Teva, Merck, Novartis and Sanofi/Genzyme (payments to institution); reports speaker relationships with F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Biogen, Teva, Merck, Novartis and Sanofi/Genzyme (payments to institution); adjudication committee of MS clinical trials of Immunic (payments to institution) F. Barkhof serves on the steering committee or iDMC member for Biogen, Merck, Roche, EISAI and Prothena. He acts as a consultant for Roche, Biogen, Merck, IXICO, Jansen, Combinostics. He has research agreements with Merck, Biogen, GE Healthcare, Roche. He is co-founder and share–holder of Queen Square Analytics LTD. H. Vrenken has received research grants from Pfizer, Merck Serono, Novartis and Teva, speaker honoraria from Novartis, and consulting fees from Merck Serono; all funds were paid directly to his institution. P.J.W. Pouwels reports no disclosures."

"Funding This work was funded by the Dutch MS Research Foundation, grant number 14–876. FB is supported by the NIHR biomedical research centre at UCLH. None of the funding sources had involvement in the study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the article for publication."

"Declarations: Conflicts of interestThe authors declare that there is no conflict of interest. This study was sponsored by the Dutch MS Research Foundation. M.M. Weeda reports no disclosures. D.R. van Nederpelt reports no disclosures. J.W.R. Twisk reports no disclosures. I. Brouwer has received research support from Merck, Novartis, Teva, and the Dutch MS Research Foundation. J.P.A. Kuijer reports no disclosures. M. van Dam is supported by a research grant from BMS. H.E. Hulst is an editor of the Multiple Sclerosis Journal controversies sections, receives research support from the Dutch MS Research Foundation and the Dutch Research Council. She has served as a consultant for or received research support from Atara Biotherapeutics, Biogen, Novartis, Celgene/Bristol Meyers Squibb, Sanofi Genzyme, MedDay and Merck BV (payments to institution). J. Killestein received consulting fees for F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Biogen, Teva, Merck, Novartis and Sanofi/Genzyme (payments to institution); reports speaker relationships with F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Biogen, Teva, Merck, Novartis and Sanofi/Genzyme (payments to institution); adjudication committee of MS clinical trials of Immunic (payments to institution) F. Barkhof serves on the steering committee or iDMC member for Biogen, Merck, Roche, EISAI and Prothena. He acts as a consultant for Roche, Biogen, Merck, IXICO, Jansen, Combinostics. He has research agreements with Merck, Biogen, GE Healthcare, Roche. He is co-founder and share–holder of Queen Square Analytics LTD. H. Vrenken has received research grants from Pfizer, Merck Serono, Novartis and Teva, speaker honoraria from Novartis, and consulting fees from Merck Serono; all funds were paid directly to his institution. P.J.W. Pouwels reports no disclosures.: Ethical approvalThe institutional ethical standards committee on human experimentation (METc VU University Medical Center) approved the study protocol (approval number 2016.314 NL57713.029.16). The study was registered in the Netherlands Trial Register as observational non-invasive non-randomized controlled trial (ID: NTR6103).: Informed consentAll participants gave written informed consent prior to participation, according to the Declaration of Helsinki. Ethical approval: The institutional ethical standards committee on human experimentation (METc VU University Medical Center) approved the study protocol (approval number 2016.314 NL57713.029.16). The study was registered in the Netherlands Trial Register as observational non-invasive non-randomized controlled trial (ID: NTR6103)."