Quantitative T2′ imaging in patients with clinically isolated syndrome

Abstract

Objective T2′ imaging has been shown to be sensitive to oxygen saturation changes in normal appearing white and grey matter (NAWM, NAGM) in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). We aimed to explore the presence and extent of T2′ changes in patients with a clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and a possible association of T2′ with conventional MRI and clinical outcomes. Material & methods Quantitative T2- and T2*-weighted images were acquired in 32 treatment-naive patients with a CIS within 3 months of presentation and 15 age-matched healthy controls (HC). Quantitative T2′ values were determined in six regions of interest (ROIs). Results T2′ values in CIS did not differ significantly from those in HC. Among patients, T2′ values correlated positively with the T2 lesion volume (T2LV, r=0.34, p<0.05). T2′ values of the frontal NAWM correlated with the T2LV (r=0.35, p<0.05) and T2 lesion count (r=0.4, p=0.02). Conclusion As opposed to RRMS, patients with CIS did not show T2′ alterations compared to HC. However, the association between the T2LV and higher T2′ values suggests that T2′ reflects disease evolution. In CIS metabolic changes might be masked by compensatory mechanisms and become overt when disease progresses as has been shown for RRMS patients.

Clinical and biomarker assessment of demyelinating events suggesting multiple sclerosis

“…Patients of male gender, with efferent lesions, multifocal presentation, incomplete remission, and high relapse rate in the first 5 years after onset have a worse prognosis . To a lesser extent, the number of baseline brain MRI lesions and the rate of lesion load increase in the short term predict the likelihood of developing subsequent disability . Additionally, some studies suggest that evoked potentials (EPs) abnormalities predict poor recovery and disability progression after a CIS .…”

Histogram analysis of quantitative T1 and MT maps from ultrahigh field MRI in clinically isolated syndrome and relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis

“…There are again mixed results with diffusion based measures, with some studies finding changes (48)(49)(50) and others not (51,52), sometimes even for the same measures. Another study has shown no change in T 2 ′ (possibly related to oxygenation) in CIS (53), but another has noted a reduction in NAWM perfusion (54). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that investigates the T 1 relaxation time along with MTR at both offsets in NAWM of the CIS patient for ultrahigh field MRI.…”