Recent Advances in Pediatric-Onset Multiple Sclerosis

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Child Neurology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 July 2024 | Viewed by 580

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
Interests: neuroinflammation; pediatric onset multiple sclerosis; myelitis; pediatric neurology

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Guest Editor
Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
Interests: neuroimmunology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In 2–5% of patients with multiple sclerosis, the first clinical symptoms manifest before the age of 18. Although patients with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) have a longer interval until they reach irreversible disability, this occurs at a younger age than in patients with adult-onset disease. In addition, patients with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis show a higher inflammatory activity with a 2-3-fold increased frequency of relapses compared to patients with adult-onset multiple sclerosis. In contrast to the widely used hesitant treatment approach with the start of injectable therapies and step-wise escalation, recent studies suggest that applying newer disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) as initial treatment improves disease control. A wide range of DMTs are available for adult use; however, in the pediatric population, only three DMTs (fingolimod, teriflunomide, and dimethyl fumarate) are currently approved for treatment. Observational studies suggest similar effects and side effects in pediatric and adult-onset cohorts; therefore, off-label use of other DMTs is widely applied.

This Special Issue aims to gather scientific evidence relating to new advances in POMS with special focus on new treatment regimens, advances in diagnostic tools, neuropsychological aspects, and follow-up.

We welcome all researchers to take part in this effort and share their experience and novel and ongoing research through this Special Issue.

Dr. Markus Breu
Dr. Christian Lechner
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • multiple sclerosis
  • pediatric
  • POMS
  • inflammation
  • demyelination
  • pediatric neurology

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

9 pages, 568 KiB  
Article
Epidemiology and Healthcare Utilization in Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis and Neuromyelitis Optica: A Nationwide Population-Based Study in South Korea (2016–2020)
by Hyewon Woo, Junho Hwang, Sun Ah Choi and Soo Ahn Chae
Children 2024, 11(5), 553; https://doi.org/10.3390/children11050553 - 5 May 2024
Viewed by 441
Abstract
Pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica (NMO) are rare acquired demyelinating syndrome with limited epidemiological data available, particularly in non-Western setting. This study aimed to demonstrate the epidemiology of pediatric MS and NMO in South Korea and to analyze of healthcare utilization [...] Read more.
Pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica (NMO) are rare acquired demyelinating syndrome with limited epidemiological data available, particularly in non-Western setting. This study aimed to demonstrate the epidemiology of pediatric MS and NMO in South Korea and to analyze of healthcare utilization and economic burden associated with these conditions. Using a nationwide population-based database from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database, we identified pediatric cases (age < 20 years) of MS and NMO from 2016 to 2020. We analyzed incidence, prevalence, healthcare utilization and medical costs. The study found low age-standardized incidence and prevalence rates for pediatric MS and NMO in South Korea. There was a marked disparity in healthcare utilization between urban and rural areas. Most healthcare interactions occurred in tertiary hospitals in urban settings, particularly in Seoul. The study also highlighted the substantial economic burden associated with the management of rare diseases, with annual variability in medical costs. Pediatric MS and NMO are extremely rare in South Korea, with significant regional disparity in healthcare utilization. The findings emphasize the need for targeted healthcare policies to improve access and reduce disparities, particularly for chronic and rare diseases requiring specialized care. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Pediatric-Onset Multiple Sclerosis)
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