About the Authors

Francesco Patti

patti@unict.it

Affiliation Department of Neurology, Multiple Sclerosis Centre Sicilia Region, First Neurology Clinic, University Hospital, Catania, Italy

Vincenzo Brescia Morra

Affiliation Department of Neurological Science, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy

Maria Pia Amato

Affiliation Department of Neurology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy

Maria Trojano

Affiliation Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences, University of Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare, Bari, Italy

Stefano Bastianello

Affiliation Neuroradiological Department, University of Pavia, Corso Strada Nuova, Pavia, Italy

Maria Rosalia Tola

Affiliation U.O. Neurology, Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Azienda Università-Ospedale S. Anna, Ferrara, Italy

Salvatore Cottone

Affiliation Centro Di Riferimento Regionale di Neuroimmunologia, Via Ninni Cassarà, Palermo, Italy

Andrea Plant

Affiliation Caudex Medical, Seacourt Tower, West Way, Oxford, United Kingdom

Orietta Picconi

Membership of the COGIMUS Study Group is provided in the Acknowledgments

Affiliation Opera CRO srl, Genova, Italy

Competing Interests

Francesco Patti has received research funding from the University of Catania and Fondazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla and personal compensation from Bayer Schering, Biogen Dompé, Merck Serono and Novartis; and has served on scientific advisory boards for Bayer Schering, Merck Serono, Novartis and Biogen Idec. Vicenzo Brescia Morra has received travel grants from Bayer Schering, Biogen Dompé, Merck Serono, Novartis and Sanofi-Aventis. Maria Pia Amato had received personal compensation and research grants from Merck Serono, Bayer Schering, Biogen and Sanofi-Aventis; and financial support for research activities from Merck Serono, Bayer Schering, Biogen and Sanofi-Aventis. Maria Trojano has received honoraria for consultancy or speaking from Biogen, Sanofi-Aventis, Merck Serono and Bayer-Schering; and research grants from Merck Serono and Biogen. Maria Rosalia Tola had received research funding from Sanofi-Aventis and compensation for consultancy or speaking from Biogen, Sanofi-Aventis, Merck Serono and Novartis. Salvatore Cottone had received personal compensation from CIC International for serving as a member of an editorial advisory board; and financial support for research activities from Biogen Dompé. Andrea Plant is employed by Caudex Medical and was supported by Merck SpA (Italy), an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. Orietta Picconi is employed by Opera CRO srl. Merck SpA (Italy), an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, provided financial support for editorial assistance with the preparation of the manuscript. This does not alter the authors' adherence to all the PLoS ONE policies on sharing data and materials as detailed online in the guide for authors. The other authors, including all members of the COGIMUS Study Group, have no conflicts of interest.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: FP MPA MT SB MRT. Analyzed the data: FP VBM OP. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: VBM SC. Wrote the paper: FP AP.