Plain-English translation of NCT02659956 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated · Translation generated · How we translate trials
Read our Multiple Sclerosis research guide →Researchers want to understand exactly how multiple sclerosis damages the brain and spinal cord, and how those changes show up on MRI scans over time. This long-term study will follow people with MS, take regular brain scans and eye imaging, and then compare those scans with actual tissue samples after death to see what was really happening inside the nervous system.
Right now, doctors can see changes on MRI scans in people with MS, but they don't always know exactly what those changes mean or how they predict how the disease will progress. By comparing scan images taken during life with actual brain tissue examined after death, researchers hope to decode what MRI signals really tell us about MS damage.
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You will visit the National Institutes of Health about once a year for multi-day appointments where you'll have MRI scans of your brain and spinal cord, eye imaging, clinical exams, and blood tests. You'll continue seeing your regular doctor for MS care outside the study. The study continues for many years—essentially until the end of life—and at that time, researchers will examine your brain, spinal cord, and eye tissue to understand what the scans actually showed about your disease.
AI-generated summary from trial data · Jun 7, 2026 · Not medical advice
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