A recently published study found that multiple injections of the gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) gadodiamide resulted in gadolinium deposition in the brains of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who were in the first five years of the disease.
Patients who had received more than eight injections showed a tendency to have a higher number of brain legions and more severe brain shrinkage than those who had fewer than eight, and males were more prone to gadolinium deposition than females.
MRI and MS Patients
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans are used to monitor the progression of MS and some MS patients undergo frequent scans using GBCAs.
Previous studies have shown that frequent MRIs using GBCAs cause gadolinium deposition in the brain, but none looked at long-term brain alterations in MS patients subjected to GBCAs. Understandably, the MS community has been concerned about the potential effects of GBCAs.
The Study
The study “Cumulative gadodiamide administration leads to brain gadolinium deposition in early MS” was published in the journal Neurology, on July 5, 2019. 203 MS patients were followed from diagnosis to a follow-up of 4.5 five years and received an average of 9.2 injections of gadodiamide. The study also looked at 262 healthy control subjects.
Researchers found areas of high-intensity gadolinium deposition in certain areas of the brain in MS patients. They did not find a correlation between gadolinium deposition and disease progression in the first five years of MS in patients who had fewer than eight doses of gadolinium, but did find a tendency to have an increased number of brain lesions and greater brain atrophy in MS patients who received more than eight injections.
If you believe that your injuries were caused by the use of a GBCA in MRI, please schedule a free consultation with an experienced product liability attorney right away to learn more about your rights.
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