LONGITUDINAL OPTIC NEURITIS STUDY

本研究建议继续对1988 - 1991年视神经炎治疗试验（ONTT）的患者队列进行长期随访研究，这些患者自1992年以来一直作为纵向视神经炎研究（LONS）的一部分进行随访。ONTT的主要目的是评估皮质类固醇治疗急性视神经炎的疗效。LONS的主要目标是(1)评估视神经炎后视觉功能的长期病程，(2)研究视神经炎与多发性硬化症（MS）之间的关系。该应用程序是为了在这个独特的患者队列中获得关于视觉过程和神经过程的额外有价值的长期随访信息的LONS的延续。LONS提供了一个独特的机会来研究视神经炎患者的队列。从未有其他研究如此广泛地收集和评估如此多的视神经炎患者，并采用标准化的方法。从ONTT方案的发展开始，人们就认识到治疗试验的重要性，它提供了一组可以纵向跟踪的患者，以回答有关视神经炎的许多关键视觉和神经学问题。这组患者是通过相当大的努力和成本聚集起来的。与总体研究费用相比，目前拟议的五年延期所涉及的费用很小。从这项研究中获得的信息将对视神经炎患者的治疗和生活质量具有相关性。在该提案实施的头四年，将通过数据协调中心的电话和邮件与患者保持联系。在第五年，14家LONS诊所将重新获得认证，每位患者将按照LONS目前使用的方案进行眼科检查、视觉功能测试和神经系统检查。这次访问将与每位患者15-17年的随访同时进行。主要的手稿计划为眼科和神经学的结果。超过80%的原始队列仍在随访中，并且有适当的机制确保这种高比率将继续下去，以便为长期研究提供有效的结果。

This proposal is to continue a long-term follow-up study of the cohort of patients who were entered into the Optic Neuritis Treatment Trial (ONTT) between 1988 and 1991 and have been followed as part of the Longitudinal Optic Neuritis Study (LONS) since 1992. The ONTT's primary objective was to assess the efficacy of corticosteroids in the treatment of acute optic neuritis. The LONS' primary objectives are (1) the evaluation of the long-term course of visual function after optic neuritis and (2) investigation of the relationship between optic neuritis and multiple sclerosis (MS). This application is for a continuation of the LONS to acquire additional valuable long-term follow-up information about both the visual course and the neurologic course in this unique patient cohort. The LONS provides a unique opportunity to study a cohort of well- characterized patients with optic neuritis. No other study has ever assembled and evaluated so extensively with standardized methodology such a large number of patients with optic neuritis. The importance of the treatment trial in providing a cohort of patients which could be followed longitudinally to answer many key visual and neurologic questions concerning optic neuritis was recognized from the onset of development of the ONTT protocol. This cohort of patients was assembled through considerable effort and cost. The costs involved in the current proposed five-year extension are small compared to the overall study costs. The information emanating from this study will have both therapeutic and quality of life relevance for patients with optic neuritis. For the first four years of the proposal, patient contact will be maintained through phone calls and mailings from the Data Coordinating Center. In the fifth year, the 14 LONS clinics will be recertified and each patient will be seen for an ocular examination, visual function testing, and neurologic examination by protocols currently utilized in the LONS. This visit will coincide with 15-17 years of follow up for each patient. Major manuscripts are planned for both the ophthalmic and neurologic results. More than 80% of the original cohort remains in follow up and mechanisms are in place to assure that this high rate will continue so as to provide valid results for the long-term study.