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BACKGROUND ELAV-like proteins are a small family of RNA-binding proteins that are fundamental players in post-transcriptional mechanisms and are involved in the pathogenesis of neurologic and psychiatric disorders. HuR, the ubiquitously expressed member of the family, is also implicated in sustaining inflammation and inflammatory diseases, supporting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Inflammation plays a central role in Multiple Sclerosis (MS), which represents the most common cause of permanent physical disability in young adults. MS is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting the Central Nervous System, with a complex aetiology involving genetic, environmental and epigenetic factors. No data are available on the potential entanglement of HuR in MS pathogenesis in patients. In the present work, we aimed at exploring HuR protein levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from MS patients, compared to healthy controls. To further elucidate the possible involvement of HuR in MS, we also inveificantly increased the MS risk by 18.1% (OR 1.181, 95% CI 1.03-1.36) and the genetic susceptibility of developing MS for HSP70-2 rs1061581 GG carriers is confirmed. Of interest, MS patients with a moderate to severe form of MS (MSSS ≥ 3) showed a trend towards a reduction of HuR protein levels compared to patients with mild disease severity (MSSS less then 3). CONCLUSIONS HuR protein levels are reduced in MS patients compared to healthy subjects, and the protein amount may continue to decline with disease progression, suggesting a putative role of this RNA-binding protein. Moreover, our results suggest that MS pathology may have disrupted the link between HuR and its target transcript HSP70-2. It will be important to further explore the exact role of HuR in MS, considering the complex interplay with other RNA-binding factors and target mRNAs. BACKGROUND The 2017 McDonald criteria are based on data from Caucasian European and North American populations. It is unknown whether they are externally valid in Latin American populations. OBJECTIVE We aimed to analyze the sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and diagnostic accuracy of the 2017 McDonald criteria in a cohort of patients with a first demyelinating event in Buenos Aires, Argentina. METHODS We determined if patients with a first demyelinating event presented dissemination in time and space according to the 2010 and the 2017 McDonald criteria. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy for both criteria sets to predict a second radiologic or clinical event. Survival analyses were performed to evaluate differences in time to a second event when we applied the 2010 or the 2017 McDonald criteria. We also conducted a genealogical interview in order to analyze ethnicity. RESULTS 108 patients with a first demyelinating event were included.wever after excluding patients who received disease-modifying treatment before a second event, the specificity of the 2017 McDonald criteria in our cohort increased to 87.5%. BACKGROUND In 2001, we conducted a survey on use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) in Oregon and Southwest Washington to treat their disease. OBJECTIVES, METHODS In 2018, we administered a revised survey in the same region to describe updated patterns of CAM use in pwMS and to compare changes in use, perceived benefit, and patterns of communication between participants and providers regarding CAM over the past 17 years. RESULTS 81% of respondents in 2018 (n = 1014) used a CAM supplement (vitamins, minerals, herbs), 39% used mind-body therapies (mindfulness, massage), 41% used specific diet, and 81% used exercise to treat their multiple sclerosis. Since 2001, use of supplements, exercise, and mind-body therapies have increased (65% to 81%, 67 to 81%, and 14% to 39%). Participants were also nine times more likely to speak to their neurologists about CAM use (6.7% to 55.4%). In 2018, factors associated with CAM use included female sex, progressive disease, and longer time since multiple sclerosis diagnosis. CONCLUSION These findings highlight the high and increasing prevalence of CAM use in pwMS and factors associated with CAM use, and underscore the importance of research to investigate safety and efficacy of these therapies. BACKGROUND Cognitive impairment is common in multiple sclerosis (MS) but not adequately monitored by Expanded Disability Status Scale assessment. The Audio Recorded Cognitive Screen (ARCS) and Brief International Cognitive Assessment for Multiple Sclerosis (BICAMS) are easy-to-use tools to assess cognitive function in clinical practice. OBJECTIVE To compare the sensitivity of ARCS to BICAMS and their relative predictive value for employment status. METHODS MS patients and healthy controls were assessed using the ARCS and the BICAMS consecutively. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were used to compare the two tests. Seladelpar PPAR agonist A step-wise, logistic regression analysis was used to identify the cognitive test(s) that best predicted employment status and quality of life. RESULTS Total ARCS, memory and attention domain scores were moderately correlated with all BICAMS tests (r = 0.3-0.5; P ≤ 0.05). Total ARCS predicts cognitive impairment with good sensitivity and specificity relative to the BICAMS tests (AUC = 0.8; P = 0.00045). Total ARCS detects higher levels of impairment than BICAMS in MS patients (44% versus 21%). The memory domain of the ARCS and the BVMT-R were the best predictors of employment status (OR = 1.12 and 1.14, P  less then  0.05). CONCLUSION BICAMS and ARCS have comparable sensitivity for cognitive impairment in MS. Memory assessment from either tests is the best predictor of employment status; however, the BICAMS is a better predictor of work productivity. Crown V. All rights reserved.BACKGROUND It is clinically essential to distinguish aquaporin-4 antibody (AQP4-Ab) negative neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) and multiple sclerosis (MS) because of different therapeutic strategies. Since clinical and lesion features may not allow the distinction, we aimed to identify advanced imaging features that could improve the distinction between two disorders. METHODS Multimodal imaging measures included fractional anisotropy, mean, axial, radial diffusivity (MD, AD, RD) and kurtosis (MK, AK, RK) from diffusion kurtosis imaging; functional connectivity strength (FCS) and density, regional homogeneity, amplitude of low frequency fluctuations from resting-state functional MRI; gray matter volume from structural MRI; and cerebral blood flow from arterial spin labeling imaging. Voxel-wise comparisons were performed to identify inter-group differences in imaging measures, and the performance of differentiating these two disorders was estimated by receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS Compared to MS, patients with AQP4-Ab negative NMOSD showed decreased MD and AD but increased MK and AK in white matter regions; and reduced FCS in the occipital cortex (P  less then  0.