From youth to late age - a comparative analysis of clinical and demographic profiles in multiple sclerosis by age at onset

Q: How were multiple sclerosis patients grouped in this study?

Patients were categorized by age at onset into POMS (<18 years), AOMS (18–49 years), and LOMS (≥50 years).

Q: What major clinical differences were observed in late-onset multiple sclerosis (LOMS)?

LOMS patients had the highest diagnostic delay and disease duration, higher comorbidity rates, and greater disability, with the highest median EDSS score.

Q: What did the study conclude about treatment needs across age-at-onset groups?

MS characteristics vary by age of onset, so each patient requires a personalized approach; LOOMS showed more challenges including more frequent switching and a higher prevalence of progressive disease.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Mabel

Retrospective analysis compared clinical and demographic characteristics, treatment approaches, and comorbidities among multiple sclerosis patients stratified by age at onset: pediatric-onset (POMS), adult-onset (AOMS), and late-onset (LOMS). Records of 439 hospitalized patients from 2018–2023 at the University Clinical Center were reviewed. Results showed higher male proportion, longer diagnostic delay and disease duration, greater disability and comorbidity burden in LOMS, with progressive forms more prevalent. Conclusions support individualized care for each onset group.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

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Abstract

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE Correspondence to: Piotr T. Oleksy Students’ Scientific Association Department of Neurology Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice Medical University of Silesia 14 Medyków St. 40-752 Katowice, Poland [e-mail: poleksy54@gmail.com](e-mail: poleksy54@gmail.com) Submitted: 12.12.2024 Accepted: 28.07.2025 Adv Psychiatry Neurol 2025; 34 (4): 232-242 DOI: [https://doi.org/10.5114/ppn.2025.156740](https://doi.org/10.5114/ppn.2025.156740) From youth to late age: a comparative analysis of clinical and demographic profiles in multiple sclerosis by age at onset Piotr T. Oleksy 1 ID , Aleksandra Tobiasz 1 ID , Magdalena Reclik 1 ID , Ewa Góralczyk 1 ID , Justyna Talaska 1 ID , Zuzanna Szatkowska 1 ID , Michalina Rzepka 2 ID , Tomasz Chmiela 2 ID , Weronika Galus 2 ID , Joanna Siuda 2 ID 1 Students’ Scientific Association, Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland 2 Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland Abstract ~~ ~~Purpose: This study aimed to compare clinical and demographic characteristics, treatment approaches, and comorbidities among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with pediatric-onset (POMS), adult-onset (AOMS), and late-onset multiple sclerosis (LOMS) . Methods: We analyzed the medical records of 439 patients diagnosed with MS, hospitalized between 2018 and 2023 in the University Clinical Center, Medical University of Silesia. The patients were divided into categories based on their age at onset: POMS – < 18 years, AOMS – 18-49 years, and LOMS – ≥ 50 years. Age of onset, symptoms, age at diagnosis, diagnostic delay, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores, course of the disease, relapse characteristics, comorbidities, and use of diseasemodifying therapy were compared between the groups. Results: The LOMS group was characterized by a higher proportion of males, had the longest diagnostic delay and disease duration, highest comorbidity rates, and a greater level of disability. Median EDSS score was highest in the LOMS group (3.16) and lowest in the POMS (0.73) (p < 0.001) . Relapsing-remitting MS was most prevalent in the POMS and AOMS groups, while progressive MS was more prevalent in LOMS (p < 0.001). The longest first-line therapy durations and the lowest rate of switching to second-line therapies were observed in the LOMS group. Conclusions: Characteristics of MS vary, based on the age of onset, hence every patient requires a personalized approach. The higher prevalence of the progressive form, more frequent comorbidities and higher degree of disability observed in the LOMS group makes treatment of this group more challenging and treatment switching is more frequent. Key words: multiple sclerosis, relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, age of onset, demyelinating autoimmune diseases, primary progressive multiple sclerosis. INTRODUCTION Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) predominantly affecting young adults, with a significant impact on their quality of life [1] . In most cases, MS onset manifests in individuals between 20 and 40 years old. This MS type with onset in individuals between 18 and 49 years old has traditionally been termed adult-onset multiple sclerosis (AOMS) . However, in a minority of cases the onset of the disease can occur in the pediatric population; this MS type has been referred to as pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) [2], while the manifestation of symptoms in individuals 50 years of age or older is called late-onset multiple sclerosis (LOMS) [3] . The incidence of MS has risen globally in recent decades [4], with a 2020 study estimating 2.8 million people affected worldwide – a 30% increase since 2013 [5] . In recent decades the age at MS onset has gradually shifted towards later age, with a growing number of late-onset cases. A

FAQs

How were multiple sclerosis patients grouped in this study?

Patients were categorized by age at onset into POMS (<18 years), AOMS (18–49 years), and LOMS (≥50 years).

What major clinical differences were observed in late-onset multiple sclerosis (LOMS)?

LOMS patients had the highest diagnostic delay and disease duration, higher comorbidity rates, and greater disability, with the highest median EDSS score.

What did the study conclude about treatment needs across age-at-onset groups?

MS characteristics vary by age of onset, so each patient requires a personalized approach; LOOMS showed more challenges including more frequent switching and a higher prevalence of progressive disease.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Mabel