Magnetization Transfer Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Clinical Changes in Patients With Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

• Published in: Archives of neurology (Chicago) Vol. 63; no. 5; pp. 736 - 740
• Main Authors: Oreja-Guevara, Celia, Charil, Arnaud, Caputo, Domenico, Cavarretta, Rosella, Sormani, Maria Pia, Filippi, Massimo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL American Medical Association 01.05.2006
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Brain; Disability Evaluation; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Multiple sclerosis; Multiple sclerosis and variants. Guillain barré syndrome and other inflammatory polyneuropathies. Leukoencephalitis; Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting - diagnosis; Nervous system; Neurology; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Radiodiagnosis. Nmr imagery. Nmr spectrometry; Severity of Illness Index; Studies; Human; Multiple sclerosis; Nervous system diseases; Magnetization; Central nervous system disease; Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; Inflammatory disease
• ISSN: 0003-9942; 2168-6149; 1538-3687; 2168-6157
• DOI: 10.1001/archneur.63.5.736

BACKGROUND Magnetization transfer (MT) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can provide in vivo quantitative estimates of microscopic tissue damage in normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) and gray matter (GM) from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). OBJECTIVE To determine whether a onetime MT MRI can provide markers of short-term disease evolution in patients with relapsing-remitting MS. DESIGN Eighteen-month observational study. SETTING Neuroimaging Research Unit, Scientific Institute and University Ospedale San Raffaele. PATIENTS Twenty-two patients with untreated relapsing-remitting MS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Relapse rate; disability according to the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS); dual-echo, 2-dimensional gradient echo with and without a saturation MT pulse and T1-weighted MRIs of the brain; and MT ratio (MTR) histograms for NAWM and GM. RESULTS During the study period, 13 patients (59%) experienced 25 relapses. The median EDSS score was 1.25 (range, 0-3.5) at study entry and 1.75 (range, 0-3) at study exit. Significant, although moderate, correlations were found between average GM MTR values at baseline and EDSS changes during the study period (r = −0.44; P = .04). A trend was observed for the correlation between NAWM MTR values at baseline and the EDSS changes throughout 18 months (r = −0.42; P = .05). For the relation between EDSS changes and baseline GM MTR, the slope of the regression line was −0.5 (95% confidence interval, −1.0 to 0.0), indicating that a decrease in the baseline GM MTR of 1% predicted an increase in the EDSS score of 0.5 point throughout the 18 months. CONCLUSION This study indicates that a “snapshot” MT MRI assessment detects subtle brain tissue changes that are associated with short-term disability accumulation in patients with relapsing-remitting MS.Arch Neurol. 2006;63:736-740 -->