Analysis of White Matter Damage in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis via a Novel In Vivo MR Method for Measuring Myelin, Axons, and G-Ratio

• DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a5312
• Publication Date: 2017-08-03T20:30:12Z
• Authors: A. Hagiwara; M. Hori; K. Yokoyama; M. Nakazawa; R. Ueda; M. Horita; C. Andica; O. Abe; S. Aoki
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Middle Aged; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; White Matter; 03 medical and health sciences; Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting; 0302 clinical medicine; Humans; Female; Myelin Sheath; Aged

<h3>BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:</h3> Myelin and axon volume fractions can now be estimated via MR imaging in vivo, as the g-ratio, which equals ratio of inner to outer diameter a nerve fiber. The purpose this study was evaluate WM damage patients with MS novel technique. <h3>MATERIALS METHODS:</h3> Twenty relapsing-remitting combined total 149 chronic plaques were analyzed. fraction calculated based on simultaneous tissue relaxometry. Intracellular CSF compartment quantified neurite orientation dispersion density imaging. Axon g-ratio by combining these measurements. measured plaques, periplaque WM, normal-appearing WM. <h3>RESULTS:</h3> All metrics differed significantly across 3 groups (<i>P</i> &lt; .001, except <i>P</i> = .027 for between WM). Those most from those percentage changes plaque relative larger absolute value myelin than .033 comparison fraction). <h3>CONCLUSIONS:</h3> In vivo study, more damaged axons MS. may potentially useful evaluating