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Article History

Received: 4 July 2025

Revised: 13 October 2025

Accepted: 16 October 2025

First Online: 19 November 2025

Declarations

:

: Tobias Monschein: has participated in meetings sponsored by, received speaker honoraria or travel funding from Biogen, Celgene/BMS, Merck, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi-Genzyme and Teva. Helena Untersteiner: has received speaker honoraria from Eli Lilly. Markus Ponleitner: has received speaker or consulting honoraria from Amicus, Sanofi-Aventis, and Novartis and participated in meetings sponsored by and received travel funding from Amicus, Merck, Novartis and Sanofi-Genzyme, as well as grants for clinical, research, and exchange fellowships awarded by the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) and the Austrian Society of Neurology. Nik Krajnc: has participated in meetings sponsored by, received speaker honoraria or travel funding from Alexion, BMS/Celgene, Janssen-Cilag, Merck, Neuraxpharm, Novartis, Roche and Sanofi-Genzyme and held a grant for a Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Training Fellowship Programme from the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS). Tobias Zrzavy: has participated in meetings sponsored by or received travel funding from Biogen, Merck, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi-Genzyme and Teva. Gabriel Bsteh: has participated in meetings sponsored by, received speaker honoraria or travel funding from Biogen, BMS, Heidelberg Engineering, Janssen, Lilly, Medwhizz, Merck, Neuraxpharm, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi, Teva and Zeiss, and received honoraria for consulting Adivo Associates, Biogen, BMS, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi and Teva. He has received unrestricted research grants from BMS and Novartis. He serves on the Executive Committee of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) and the Board of Directors of the International Multiple Sclerosis VisualSystem Consortium (IMSVISUAL). Paulus Rommer: has received honoraria for consultancy/speaking from AbbVie, Allmiral, Alexion, Biogen, Merck, Novartis, Roche, Sandoz, Sanofi Genzyme, has received research grants from Amicus, Biogen, Merck, Roche. Barbara Kornek: has received honoraria for speaking and for consulting from Biogen, Celgene/BMS, GSK, Johnson&Johnson, Merck, Novartis, Roche, Teva and Sanofi-Genzyme outside of the submitted work. No conflict of interest with respect to the present study. Christian Enzinger: received funding for travel and speaker honoraria from Biogen, Bayer, Celgene/BMS, Merck, Novartis, Roche, Shire, Genzyme and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd./sanofi-aventis; research support from Merck Serono, Biogen, and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd./sanofi-aventis; serving on scientific advisory boards for Bayer, Biogen, Celgene, Merck, Novartis, Roche and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd./sanofi-aventis.  Franziska Di Pauli: has participated in meetings sponsored by, received honoraria (lectures, advisory boards, consultations) or travel funding from Amgen, Almirall, Bayer, Biogen, Celgene/BMS, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Sandoz, Sanofi-Genzyme, Roche, and Teva. Jörg Kraus: has received Consulting and/or research funding and/or educational support from A-med, Alexion, Almirall, Amgen, Apurano, Aurimod, Bayer, Biogen, Celgene/Bristol Myers Squibb, Grünenthal, Horizon, Lilly, MedDay, Medtronic, Merck, Neuraxpharm, Novartis, Perimed, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi- Aventis, Shire, and TEVA ratiopharm. Michael Guger: received support and honoraria for research, consultation, lectures and education from Alexion, Almirall, Bayer, Biogen, Bristol-Myers-Squibb, Celgene/BMS, Genzyme, Horizon, Janssen-Cilag, MedDay, Merck, Neuraxpharm, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi Aventis, and TEVA ratiopharm. Fritz Leutmezer: has participated in meetings sponsored by, received speaker honoraria or travel funding from Actelion, Almirall, Biogen, Celgene/BMS, Johnson&Johnson, MedDay, Merck, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi-Genzyme and Teva, and received honoraria for consulting Biogen, Celgene, Merck, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi-Genzyme and Teva. Thomas Berger: has participated in meetings sponsored by and received honoraria (lectures, advisory boards, consultations) from pharmaceutical companies marketing treatments for MS: Allergan, Bayer, Biogen, Bionorica, BMS, Genesis, GSK, GW/Jazz Pharma, Horizon, Janssen-Cilag, MedDay, Merck, Novartis, Octapharma, Roche, Sandoz, Sanofi-Genzyme, Teva and UCB. His institution has received financial support in the past 12 months by unrestricted research grants (Biogen, Bayer, BMS/Celgene, Merck, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi-Genzyme, Teva and for participation in clinical trials in multiple sclerosis sponsored by Alexion, Bayer, Biogen, Merck, Novartis, Octapharma, Roche, Sanofi-Genzyme, Teva.