FutureMS Cohort Profile: A Scottish Multi-Centre Inception Cohort Study of Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated, neuroinflammatory disease of the central nervous system and in industrialised countries is the most common cause of progressive neurological disability in working age persons. However, there is significant inter-individual heterogeneity in disease activity and response to treatment. Currently, the ability to predict at diagnosis who will have a benign, intermediate, or aggressive disease course is very limited. There is therefore a need for integrated predictive tools to inform individualised treatment decision-making. FutureMS is a nationally representative, prospective observation cohort study comprising of 440 participants with a new diagnosis of relapsing remitting MS living in Scotland between May 2016 and March 2019. Established with the aim of addressing this need for individualised predictive tools, the cohort is designed to combine detailed clinical phenotyping with imaging, genetic and biomarker metrics of disease activity and progression. Recruitment, baseline assessment and follow up at year one is complete and longer term follow up is planned, beginning at five years after first visit. The study aims to explore the pathobiology and determinants of disease heterogeneity in MS. Here we describe the cohort design and present a profile of the participants at baseline and one year of follow up.