Understanding Immune-Related Brain and Spinal Cord Diseases

This observational study aims to better understand diseases of the brain and spinal cord (Central Nervous System or CNS) that may be caused by problems with the immune system, like multiple sclerosis. Researchers will compare information from healthy volunteers with information from people who show signs or symptoms of immune-related CNS damage. The goal is to learn how immune cells interact with the CNS and to develop better ways to diagnose and measure these conditions. You could be eligible if you are at least 12 years old and have symptoms or imaging that suggest an immune-mediated CNS disorder, or if you are a healthy volunteer. The study will look at how your disease progresses over 1-2 years and aims to confirm a diagnosis within 12 weeks.

Study design
This is an observational study planning to enroll up to 2400 participants, including those with immune-mediated CNS disorders and healthy volunteers for comparison.
What's involved
Participants will visit the NIH Clinical Center as an outpatient for an initial evaluation. You will also need to be willing to share your medical records, including past MRI results, with the study team.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Disease progression will be assessed at 1-2 years, and a definite diagnosis will be assessed at 12 weeks.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT00794352

Comprehensive Multimodal Analysis of Neuroimmunological Diseases of the Central Nervous System

Recruiting
Not specifiedAges 1–99Observational
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
~2,400 participants
Updated 2026-09-16 on ClinicalTrials.gov

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Disease progression as assessed by clinical and MRI criteria.
Measured over 1-2 years
+1 more outcome measured
Central Nervous System Disease
Multiple Sclerosis

NCT00794352

Where you'd take part

This study runs at 1 site. They're the same protocol — you choose where, and that choice sets who your contact draft is addressed to.

  • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center

    Bethesda, Marylandno site contact published

    Recruiting

Sites open and close at different times, so the status above is per site — it can differ from the study's overall status.

  • Bibiana Bielekova, M.D. · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

Opens a ready-to-send draft in your own email app — review before sending.

  • Disease progression as assessed by clinical and MRI criteria.1-2 years

    1\. Sustained (i.e. \> 3 months) progression of disability as measured by =\> 0.5 CombiWISE points or 2. Development of new/clearly enlarged distinct lesions on T2WI

  • Definite diagnosis of MS or another disorder.12 weeks

    To identify MS-specific markers, biomarkers from peripheral blood and CSF will be compared between patients who fulfilled diagnostic criteria for MS versus those who were found to have alternative diagnoses.