Document is current

Article History

Received: 26 March 2025

Revised: 13 August 2025

Accepted: 5 September 2025

First Online: 23 September 2025

Declarations

:

: Francesco Romanò has nothing to disclose. Maria A. Rocca received consulting fees from Biogen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Roche; and speaker honoraria from AstraZaneca, Biogen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Bromatech, Celgene, Genzyme, Horizon Therapeutics Italy, Merck Serono SpA, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi and Teva. She receives research support from the MS Society of Canada, the Italian Ministry of Health, the Italian Ministry of University and Research, and Fondazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla. She is Associate Editor for Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders ; and Associate Co-Editor for Europe and Africa for Multiple Sclerosis Journal . Elisabetta Pagani has nothing to disclose. Maria Pia Amato received compensation for consulting services and/or speaking activities from Bayer, Biogen Idec, Merck-Serono, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi Genzyme, and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, and receives research support from Biogen Idec, Merck-Serono, Roche, Pharmaceutical Industries and Fondazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla. Giampaolo Brichetto has been awarded and receives research support from Roche, Fondazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla, ARSEP, H2020 EU Call. In the last 3 years, Jeremy Chataway has received support from the Efficacy and Evaluation (EME) Programme, a Medical Research Council (MRC) and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) partnership and the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme (NIHR), the UK MS Society, the US National MS Society and the Rosetrees Trust, he is supported in part by the NIHR University College London Hospitals (UCLH) Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK, he has been a local principal investigator for a trial in MS funded by the Canadian MS society, a local principal investigator for commercial trials funded by: Ionis, Novartis and Roche, and has taken part in advisory boards/consultancy for Azadyne, Biogen, Lucid, Janssen, Merck, NervGen, Novartis and Roche. Nancy D. Chiaravalloti is on an Advisory Board for Akili Interactive and is a member of the Editorial Boards of Multiple Sclerosis Journal and Frontiers in NeuroTrauma. Gary Cutter is a member of Data and Safety Monitoring Boards for Astra-Zeneca, Avexis Pharmaceuticals, Biolinerx, Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics, Bristol Meyers Squibb/Celgene, CSL Behring, Galmed Pharmaceuticals, Horizon Pharmaceuticals, Hisun Pharmaceuticals, Mapi Pharmaceuticals LTD, Merck, Merck/Pfizer, Opko Biologics, OncoImmune, Neurim, Novartis, Ophazyme, Sanofi Aventis, Reata Pharmaceuticals, Teva pharmaceuticals, VielaBio Inc, Vivus, NHLBI (Protocol Review Committee), NICHD (OPRU oversight committee), he is on Consulting or Advisory Boards for Biodelivery Sciences International, Biogen, Click Therapeutics, Genzyme, Genentech, GW Pharmaceuticals, Klein-Buendel Incorporated, Medimmune, Medday, Neurogenesis LTD, Novartis, Osmotica Pharmaceuticals, Perception Neurosciences, Recursion/Cerexis Pharmaceuticals, Roche, TG Therapeutics, he is employed by the University of Alabama at Birmingham and President of Pythagoras, Inc, a private consulting company located in Birmingham AL. Ulrik Dalgas has received research support, travel grants, and/or teaching honorary from Biogen Idec, Merck-Serono, Novartis, Bayer Schering, and Sanofi Aventis as well as honoraria from serving on scientific advisory boards of Biogen Idec and Genzyme. John DeLuca is an Associate Editor of the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Neuropsychology Review, received compensation for consulting services and/or speaking activities from Biogen Idec, Celgene, MedRhythms, and Novartis, and receives research support from Biogen Idec, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers, and National Institutes of Health. Rachel Farrel has received honoraria and served on advisory panels for Merck, TEVA, Novartis, Genzyme, GW pharma (Jazz pharmaceuticals), Allergan, Merz, Ipsen and Biogen, she is supported in part by the National Institute for Health Research, University College London Hospitals, Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK. Peter Feys is editorial board member of NNR, MSJ and Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences (section ‘Strengthening Health Systems’), provides consultancy to NeuroCompass and was board of advisory board meetings for BIOGEN. Jennifer Freeman has been awarded research grants from the NIHR, UK. Matilde Inglese is Co-Editor for Controversies for Multiple Sclerosis Journal, received compensation for consulting services and/or speaking activities from Biogen Idec, Merck-Serono, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi Genzyme, and received research support from NIH, NMSS, the MS Society of Canada, the Italian Ministry of Health, Fondazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla, H2020 EU Call. Emilio Cipriano has nothing to disclose. Cecilia Meza has nothing to disclose. Robert W. Motl has nothing to disclose. Amber Salter receives research funding from Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, CMSC and the US Department of Defense, and is a member of editorial board for Neurology, and serves as a consultant for Gryphon Bio, LLC, Sora Neuroscience and Abata Therapeutics. She has equity in Owl Therapeutics. Brian M. Sandroff has nothing to disclose. Anthony Feinstein is on Advisory Boards for Akili Interactive and Roche, and reports grants from the MS Society of Canada, book royalties from Johns Hopkins University Press, Cambridge University Press, Amadeus Press and Glitterati Editions, and speaker’s honoraria from Novartis, Biogen, Roche and Sanofi Genzyme. Massimo Filippi is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Neurology , Associate Editor of Human Brain Mapping , Neurological Sciences, and Radiology ; received compensation for consulting services from Alexion, Almirall, Biogen, Merck, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi; speaking activities from Bayer, Biogen, Celgene, Chiesi Italia SpA, Eli Lilly, Genzyme, Janssen, Merck-Serono, Neopharmed Gentili, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Roche, Sanofi, Takeda, and TEVA; participation in Advisory Boards for Alexion, Biogen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi, Sanofi-Aventis, Sanofi-Genzyme, Takeda; scientific direction of educational events for Biogen, Merck, Roche, Celgene, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Lilly, Novartis, Sanofi-Genzyme; he receives research support from Biogen Idec, Merck-Serono, Novartis, Roche, the Italian Ministry of Health, the Italian Ministry of University and Research, and Fondazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla.

: Approval was received from Institutional ethical standards committees on human experimentation at participating sites (protocol ID: 32/2018). All participants provided written informed consent prior to study participation according to the Declaration of Helsinki.