Children with pyramidal, visual and cerebellar symptoms in the first year of MS onset are up to 31% more likely to experience more severe future disability, Australian-led neurologists report.

Older age at paediatric-onset disease and higher Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score, also predict faster disability worsening in this setting, results from their registry study show.

Conversely, longer time spent on higher-efficacy immunotherapies in patients with paediatric-onset MS appears to slow the rate of disability accrual.

“The improved prognostic information and initial insights into the effect of persistent potent immunotherapy are key steps towards personalisation of therapy for children with MS,” say researchers led by neurologist Professor Tomas Kalincik, from the Royal Melbourne Hospital and University of Melbourne.