Vahid Shaygannejad

• Professor
• Professor (Full) at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences

Background Fampridine is the only drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) to improve their movement and has exhibited a clinically significant improvement in gait function in a subset of MS patients with Expanded Disability Status Scale (ESDSS) from 4 to 7. Nevertheless, this drug has been...

Gustatory dysfunction is an often overlooked symptom in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), potentially leading to poor appetite, malnutrition, weight loss, and decreased quality of life. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the pooled prevalence of gustatory dysfunction in PwMS and compare their gustatory test scores with he...

Background Sexual dysfunction (SF) is a prevalent and distressing comorbidity in males with multiple sclerosis (MwMS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (MwNMOSD). Aims This study aimed to assess the SF in MwMS and MwNMOSD in comparison to male healthy controls (HCs) and identify its associated predictors. Methods This case–control study...

Background/Objective Multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) are neuroinflammatory conditions with overlapping clinical and imaging features. Distinguishing between these diseases is crucial for appropriate diagnosis and management. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may have the potential to differentiate these dis...

Background Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a central nervous system disorder marked by progressive neurological impairments. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters are key paraclinical measures that play a crucial role in the diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of MS-related disability. This study aims to analyze and summarize the existing literat...

Background/Aims Multiple sclerosis could lead to limitations in daily activities and restrictions in community integration and participation. The aim of this study was to investigate variables associated with community integration and participation in people with multiple sclerosis and mild or moderate levels of disability. Methods A convenience s...

Background It is widely recognized that obesity is characterized by a chronic low-grade inflammatory condition. In the context of childhood and adolescent obesity, there is also a noteworthy correlation with elevated levels of inflammatory markers. These markers signify a proinflammatory state that may have relevance to the development of MS. We ai...

Background: Dysfunctions of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis can trigger multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms. Mood disorders comorbid with MS are implicated in the HPA axis activation in most people with MS (pwMS). This study purposed to examine salivary cortisol (SC) levels and their association with mood disorders in pwMS. Methods: Fort...

Background Multiple sclerosis (MS) and cancer present substantial global health challenges. Understanding cancer patterns among people with MS (PwMS) is crucial due to potential variations across demographics and geographic regions. Isfahan province in Iran, known for its high MS incidence ratio, offers a significant population for comprehensive st...

Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory demyelinating disease and represents a global health concern. Ocrelizumab, a humanized IgG monoclonal antibody, selectively targets CD20 on B cells and CD20-expressing T cells. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of the biosimilar ocrelizumab candidate (Xacrel) to the originator product (Ocrevus...

Background Several studies pointed out the importance of genetic risk factors such as parental consanguinity (PC) and familial multiple sclerosis (FMS) in the risk of MS. This study aimed to investigate the PC and FMS among people with MS (pwMS) in Isfahan, Iran. Methods This case–control study was conducted on pwMS from the MS clinic of Kashani H...

Background/Objectives The COVID-19 pandemic raised concern amongst clinicians that disease-modifying therapy (DMT), particularly anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies (mAB) and fingolimod, could worsen COVID-19 in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). This study aimed to examine DMT prescribing trends pre- and post-pandemic. Methods A multi-centre long...

Background The objective of this study was to investigate cognitive performance and brain volume profile in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and multiple sclerosis (MS). Materials and Methods In a historical cohort study, 29 MS patients, 31 NMOSD patients, and 20 healthy controls (HCs) underwent neuropsychological asses...

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in December 2019 in Wuhan (China). It soon became widespread so that the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of COVID-19 as a pandemic crisis. This disease has caused significant morbidity and mortality in the world. Clinical studies reported that there is a sign...

Comorbidities in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and antibody-mediated diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) including neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) are common and may influence the course of their neurological disease. Comorbidity may c...

Background One of the complications of multiple sclerosis (MS) is cognitive impairment (CI). The prevalence of CI is reported variously in previous studies. The goal of this systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate pooled prevalence of CI in patients with MS and also the prevalence of CI based on the type of applied test. Methods Two indepe...

There is debate on the role of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) as a reliable biomarker in multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), and its potential to reflect disease progression. This review aimed to investigate the role of GFAP in MS and NMOSD. A systematic search of electronic databases, including PubMe...

Background Appropriate treatment reduces the severity and duration of relapses in demyelinating diseases of Central Nervous System (CNS). If high-dose corticosteroids treatment fails, therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is considered as a rescue treatment. Objectives This study aimed to investigate early clinical response and complications of TPE an...

Background and aim: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a severe and rare inflammatory disease affecting the central nervous system through optic neuritis and transverse myelitis. Present study aimed to investigate the association between dietary inflammatory index (DII) and risk of NMOSD. Methods: In this case-control study, 30 NM...

Background The rising prevalence of familial multiple sclerosis (MS) in Iran has spurred interest in the potential impact of parental consanguinity on the risk of developing the disease. This study aims to aggregate current knowledge on parental consanguinity and its possible effect on MS risk, particularly among familial MS patients from various r...

Background The use of non-specific immunosuppressants (NSIS) to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) remains prevalent in certain geographies despite safety concerns, likely due to resource limitations. Objective To use MSBase registry data to compare real-world outcomes in adults with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) treated with dimethyl fumarate (DMF) or...

Study design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Objectives: The current study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of Onabotulinum toxin A (OBTX-A) treatment for neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. Setting: Iran. Methods: All relevant articles of clinical trials and cohort studies indexed in Pub...

Background Several studies pointed out the importance of genetic risk factors such as parental consanguinity (PC) and familial multiple sclerosis (FMS) in the risk of MS. This study aimed to investigate the PC and FMS among people with MS (pwMS) in Isfahan, Iran. Methods This case-control study was conducted on pwMS from the MS clinic of Kashani H...

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a widely prevalent neurodegenerative disorder in the central nervous system, predominantly affecting older adults and frequently coexisting with other health conditions. The heightened vulnerability of individuals with chronic diseases and advanced age to adverse outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic suggests...

Background Depression and anxiety are commonly observed in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). There is a growing body of literature supporting the hypothesis that personality traits can influence the mood disorders. This study aimed to investigate the personality traits and their relationships with depression and anxiety among pwMS. Methods 23...

Background and objectives: Patients with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) typically experience higher levels of inflammation with more frequent relapses, and though patients with POMS usually recover from relapses better than adults, patients with POMS reach irreversible disability at a younger age than adult-onset patients. There have be...

Background and Aims Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS). MS results from an inflammatory process leading to the loss of neural tissue and increased disability over time. The role of Epstein Barr Virus (EBV), as one of the most common global viruses, in MS development has been the subject of se...

Key Clinical Message This case highlights the importance of early diagnosis and treatment in prognosis of fulminant multiple sclerosis, and its similar management with autoimmune encephalitis in some clinical settings, in which these diseases are indistinguishable. This case also supports the use of rituximab in these patients with an adequate resp...

Background Fingolimod and interferons are used in the relapse form of multiple sclerosis (MS). The goal of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy of fingolimod versus interferon in patients with MS. The systematic search was done in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Methods The references of...

Background There is often a fear of social stigma experienced by people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS), which negatively impacts the quality of their lives (QoL). Currently, no Persian-validated questionnaire is available to assess this issue in pwMS. This study aimed to assess the validaty and reliability of the Persian version of Reece Stigma Sca...

Aim To evaluate the real-world comparative effectiveness and the cost-effectiveness, from a UK National Health Service perspective, of natalizumab versus fingolimod in patients with rapidly evolving severe relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RES-RRMS). Methods Real-world data from the MSBase Registry were obtained for patients with RES-RRMS wh...

Background: Social support and anxiety are essential for patients with chronic diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). During coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the psychological well-being of subjects with MS was an important issue, and we designed this study to assess anxiety, resilience, and social support in these patients during C...

Background Treatment switching is a common challenge and opportunity in real-world clinical practice. Increasing diversity in disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) has generated interest in the identification of reliable and robust predictors of treatment switching across different countries, DMTs, and time periods. Objective The objective of this r...

Working memory (WM) is one of the most affected cognitive domains in multiple sclerosis (MS), which is mainly studied by the previously established binary model for information storage (slot model). However, recent observations based on the continuous reproduction paradigms have shown that assuming dynamic allocation of WM resources (resource model...

Background: Every patient diagnosed with definite multiple sclerosis (MS) should begin disease modifying therapies. Cinnomer® contains 40 mg glatiramer acetate (GA) and is available in prefilled syringes and autoinjector devices. Methods: A phase IV multicenter study was conducted to explore the safety and effectiveness of Cinnomer® in the treatmen...

Background: Anxiety disorders are common among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Schema therapy may prove successful in the treatment of psychological disorders in MS patients. Objectives: This study evaluated the effectiveness of schema therapy on anxiety, depression, sleep quality, and fatigue in patients with MS. Methods: This research was...

Working memory (WM) is one of the most affected cognitive domains in multiple sclerosis (MS), which is mainly studied by the previously established binary model for information storage (slot model). However, recent observations based on the continuous reproduction paradigms have shown that assuming dynamic allocation of WM resources (resource model...

It is unknown whether the currently known risk factors of multiple sclerosis reflect the etiology of progressive-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) as observational studies rarely included analysis by type of onset. We designed a case–control study to examine associations between environmental factors and POMS and compared effect sizes to relapse-onse...

Background Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative conditions in the world and, when combined with dementia, can lead to immense cerebral volume loss. Of significant importance among all cerebral regions, is the hippocampus. This region plays a pivotal role in memory, and understanding its pathological alterations can a...

Behavioral aspects and underlying pathology of attention deficit in multiple sclerosis (MS) remain unknown. This study aimed to clarify impairment of attention and its relationship with MS-related fatigue. Thirty-four relapse-remitting MS (RRMS), 35 secondary-progressive MS (SPMS) and 45 healthy controls (HC) were included. Results of psychophysics...

Background: Fear of relapse and re-infection during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic can affect people with chronic relapsing diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). We evaluated fear of re-infection, anxiety, and relapse during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iranian people with MS. Methods: This multicenter, cross-sectional study was...

Background: We carried out the current study to compare COVID-19-related hospitalization and mortality rates between people living with multiple sclerosis (PLWMS) and MS-free controls from the Isfahan general population. Method: In this retrospective population-based study, we used available data from four datasets of Isfahan University of Medic...

Working memory (WM) is one of the most affected cognitive domains in multiple sclerosis (MS), which is mainly studied by the previously established binary model for information storage (slot model). Recent observations based on the continuous reproduction paradigms showed that assuming dynamic allocation of WM resources (resource model) instead of...

ELife digest Working memory is a system that temporarily stores and manipulates information used in tasks like decision-making and reasoning. Patients with multiple sclerosis – a condition that can affect the brain and spinal cord – often have impaired working memory, which can negatively affect their quality of life. Traditionally, working memory...

Background: Emotional competencies (i.e., understanding emotions in self and others) are crucial for psychological well-being and successful social interaction. However, despite the deficits in psychological well-being and social interaction among individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), emotional competencies have not been broadly investigated in...

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is categorized into four subtypes, including clinically-isolated syndrome (CIS), primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), and relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). On the other hand, radiologically-isolated syndrome (RIS) is characterized by the imag...

Interferon (IFN)-β is the first-line disease management choice in multiple sclerosis (MS) with profound effects; however, in up to 50% of patients, clinical response does not occur. Ascertaining the responding state, need a long-term clinical follow-up, and this may lead to delay in use of other effective medications. IFN-induced cascade and its re...

Background Simultaneous comparisons of multiple disease-modifying therapies for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) over an extended follow-up are lacking. Here we emulate a randomised trial simultaneously comparing the effectiveness of six commonly used therapies over 5 years. Methods Data from 74 centres in 35 countries were sourced fr...

A number of studies have suggested that multiple sclerosis (MS) can be associated with serious vascular complications, for which pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is a potentially lethal complication. The purpose of this study is to establish a current literature-based estimate of the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE), deep vein thrombosis (D...

Key clinical message According to this report, a biopsy revealed a diagnosis of neurosarcoidosis in a patient with a history of MS. The development of the disease can be slowed down by early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Abstract Neurosarcoidosis is a rare type of sarcoidosis that affects the central nervous system (CNS). Herein, we present...

Abstract Background Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neuroinflammatory disease that affects the central nervous system. Asymmetry is one of the finding in brain MRI of these patients, which is related to the debilitating symptoms of the disease. This study aimed to investigate and compare the thalamic asymmetry in MS patients and its relation...

Background Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, inflammatory, demyelinating, immune-mediated disease of the central nervous system. It is still unestablished whether heredity correlates with the disease's progression and severity. Methods This study includes the patients with MS seen in the MS clinic of Kashani Hospital, affiliated with Isfahan U...

Background: Fampridine is the only drug that was approved by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for patients with multiple sclerosis to improve their movement and has exhibited a clinically significant improvement in gait function in subset of multiple sclerosis patients with Expanded Disability Status scale (ESDSS) from 4 to 7. Nevertheless, th...

Importance Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (AHSCT) is available for treatment of highly active multiple sclerosis (MS). Objective To compare the effectiveness of AHSCT vs fingolimod, natalizumab, and ocrelizumab in relapsing-remitting MS by emulating pairwise trials. Design, Setting, and Participants This comparative treatment effec...

Key Clinical Message Malignancies were reported in some studies following taking Fingolimod. We reported a case of bladder lymphoma after taking Fingolimod. Physicians should consider the carcinogenic effects of Fingolimod in long‐term use and replace it with safer medicines. Abstract Fingolimod is a medication with a potential cure to control mul...

Background Some studies comparing primary and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS, SPMS) report similar ages at onset of the progressive phase and similar rates of subsequent disability accrual. Others report later onset and/or faster accrual in SPMS. Comparisons have been complicated by regional cohort effects, phenotypic differences in...

Background Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) is an uncommon neurological disease affecting the central nervous system (CNS). Numerous neurological disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS), neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), acute transverse myelitis (ATM), and MOGAD, have been reported followin...

Background The prognostic significance of non-disabling relapses in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) is unclear. Objective To determine whether early non-disabling relapses predict disability accumulation in RRMS. Methods We redefined mild relapses in MSBase as ‘non-disabling’, and moderate or severe relapses as ‘disablin...

Background: Cognitive dysfunction, including reduced Information processing speed (IPS), is relatively common in multiple sclerosis(MS). IPS deficits have profound effects on several aspects of patients' life. Previous studies showed that deep gray matter atrophy is highly correlated with overall cognitive impairment in MS. However, the effect of...

Background: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a progressive demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that has overlapping symptoms with multiple sclerosis (MS) but differs from it in a variety of ways. Previous studies have reported conflicting results trying to estimate the number of individuals affected by them which i...

Background The objective of the present study was to estimate the effectiveness of the BBIBP-CorV vaccine (VE) in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection, related hospitalization, and death among people living with multiple sclerosis (PLWMS). Methods In this population-based retrospective observational study, data on all PLWMS, vaccination, SARS-CoV-2 te...

Background: This study assessed the effect of patient characteristics on the response to disease modifying therapy (DMT) in in multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: We extracted data from 61,810 patients from 135 centres across 35 countries from the MSBase registry. The selection criteria were: clinically isolated syndrome or definite MS; follow-up...

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Persian version of Patient Determined Disease Steps (PDDS) in both patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). Methods: One hundred and forty-five patients were enrolled between May and September 2020 by consecutiv...

Background: Three-thirds of people with radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS) develop multiple sclerosis (MS) within five years following their first brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Subclinical applications of optical coherence tomography (OCT) include measuring the thickness of different retinal layers and monitoring the progression of vi...

Background: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is an autoimmune demyelinating disease in the central nervous system. Association between NMOSD and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection has been investigated, but few studies have assessed the relationship between H. pylori and seronegative AQP4-Ab NMOSD. Objectives: This study aimed...

Background: Dysphagia is a major disorder observed in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), yet different prevalence rates are reported for it. Therefore, we designed this study to estimate the pooled prevalence of dysphagia in patients with MS. Method: We searched PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, Web of Science, and gray literature including references...

Background: Several reports have been documented in possible association with the administration of different severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines and central nervous system (CNS)demyelinating disorders, specifically post mRNA vaccines. We report twelve cases of developing Multiple sclerosis (MS) or Neuromyelitis Optica spe...

Background. Cognitive dysfunction, including Information processing speed (IPS), is relatively common in multiple sclerosis(MS). IPS deficits have profound effects on several aspects of patients’ life. Previous studies showed that deep gray matter atrophy is highly correlated with overall cognitive impairment in MS. However, the effect of deep gray...