Intersectionality and Disability in Multiple Sclerosis: A statistical mediation analysis approach using imaging biomarkers

Oregon Convention Center 

Prior research has shown that Black American (BA) patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience a more severe disease progression than their White American (WA) counterparts [1-5], however causal pathways of this relationship have not been explored. In this talk, we model the role of race, gender, and socioeconomic status on MS related disability outcome using imaging biomarkers as the mechanism of mediation. We explore a variable selection approach to find the imaging mediating features on the relationship between race and disability. Our aim is to explore the causal pathways of such relationships. Our findings could ultimately have direct benefits for clinical care by explaining distinct race-related processes that impact disease progression.