biostudies-literatureVasileiou ESNational Multiple Sclerosis SocietyRace to Erase Multiple Sclerosis FoundationNIMH NIH HHSGenentech CorporationNINDS NIH HHSNational Institutes of Health3664-3673https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC8759504biostudies-literatureUnknown144(12)Disease course in multiple sclerosis is notably heterogeneous, and few prognostic indicators have been consistently associated with multiple sclerosis severity. In the general population, socioeconomic disparity is associated with multimorbidity and may contribute to worse disease outcomes in multiple sclerosis. Herein, we assessed whether indicators of socioeconomic status are associated with disease progression in patients with multiple sclerosis using highly sensitive imaging tools such as optical coherence tomography, and determined whether differential multiple sclerosis management or comorbidity mediate any observed socioeconomic status-associated effects. We included 789 participants with longitudinal optical coherence tomography and low contrast letter acuity (at 1.25 and 2.5%) in Brain : a journal of neurologySocioeconomic disparity is associated with faster retinal neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis.PMC8759504R01NS082347RG-1606–08768TA-1805–31136R01 NS0823471K01MH121582-01K01 MH121582Ehrhardt HMowry EMKalaitzidis GSotirchos ESFitzgerald KCLambe JSaidha SFilippatou AGVasileiou ESPimentel Maldonado DCalabresi PAfalseSocioeconomic disparity is associated with faster retinal neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis.Disease course in multiple sclerosis is notably heterogeneous, and few prognostic indicators have been consistently associated with multiple sclerosis severity. In the general population, socioeconomic disparity is associated with multimorbidity and may contribute to worse disease outcomes in multiple sclerosis. Herein, we assessed whether indicators of socioeconomic status are associated with disease progression in patients with multiple sclerosis using highly sensitive imaging tools such as optical coherence tomography, and determined whether differential multiple sclerosis management or comorbidity mediate any observed socioeconomic status-associated effects. We included 789 participants with longitudinal optical coherence tomography and low contrast letter acuity (at 1.25 and 2.5%) in 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z2021 Dec2025-04-03T21:30:23.031Z2025-04-03T21:30:23.031ZS-EPMC87595043471842310.1093/brain/awab342