Eye blood vessel signs of nerve damage in multiple sclerosis
Official title: Retinal microvasculature as a predictor of neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis
Funded at Portland VA Medical Center · NIH-11329775 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses a quick, noninvasive eye scan to look for tiny blood vessel changes that may show nerve damage in people with multiple sclerosis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Portland VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Portland, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2020 |
| Project end | September 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5IK2RX003407-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11329775 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People living with multiple sclerosis who can travel to clinic visits and complete vision and neurologic testing and questionnaires are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without MS or those with eye conditions that prevent clear OCTA imaging are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
What this research studies
You will be invited to a clinic visit where providers will do neurologic and vision exams and ask about your walking, symptoms, and quality of life. A painless optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) scan will image the tiny blood vessels in your retina as a window into brain blood vessel health. The study will compare these eye blood vessel measures with patient-reported symptoms and objective tests of nerve and walking function. This observational work aims to see if the eye scan can serve as a useful marker of neurodegeneration in MS.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help doctors detect early nerve damage in MS using a painless eye scan and guide treatments to protect walking and quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Previous eye imaging studies in MS have found retinal thinning and vascular changes, but using OCTA as a practical surrogate for CNS neurodegeneration is relatively new and still being tested.
Where this research is happening
-
Portland VA Medical Center
Portland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Silbermann, Elizabeth — Portland VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Silbermann, Elizabeth
Related research
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.