American Journal of Neuroradiology 22:1893-1900 (November 2001)
© 2001 American Society of Neuroradiology
BRAIN
Analysis of Normal-Appearing White Matter in Multiple Sclerosis: Comparison of Diffusion Tensor MR Imaging and Magnetization Transfer Imaging
a From the Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Our purpose was to compare diffusion tensor MR and magnetization transfer imaging in assessing normal-appearing white matter (WM) regions in multiple sclerosis (MS).
METHODS: Diffusion tensor, magnetization transfer, and conventional MR imaging were performed in 12 patients with MS. Fractional anisotropy, apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs), and magnetization transfer ratios (MTRs) were measured in plaques, normal-appearing periplaque WM (PWM) regions, and normal-appearing WM regions remote from plaques. Mean fractional anisotropy, ADCs, and MTRs were calculated and compared in WM regions.
RESULTS: Fractional anisotropy was lower in normal-appearing PWM regions than in remote WM regions (P < .001) but higher than in plaques (P < .001). MTRs were lower (not significantly, P = .19) in normal-appearing PWM regions than in remote regions. MTRs were higher in normal-appearing PWM regions than in plaques (P < .001). ADCs were higher in normal-appearing PWM regions than in remote regions (P = .008) but lower than in plaques (P = .001). Correlation between fractional anisotropy and MTRs of individual lesions was poor (r = 0.18) and between fractional anisotropy and ADC, modest (r = -0.39).
CONCLUSION: In MS, diffusion tensor MR imaging can depict differences between WM regions that are not apparent on conventional MR images. Anisotropy measurements may be more sensitive than those of MTRs in detecting subtle abnormalities in PWM.
This article has been cited by other articles:
 |
|
 |
|
  E. Raz, M. Cercignani, E. Sbardella, P. Totaro, C. Pozzilli, M. Bozzali, and P. Pantano Clinically Isolated Syndrome Suggestive of Multiple Sclerosis: Voxelwise Regional Investigation of White and Gray Matter Radiology, January 1, 2010; 254(1): 227 - 234. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 I. Kezele, D. Arnold, and D. Collins Atrophy in white matter fiber tracts in multiple sclerosis is not dependent on tract length or local white matter lesions Multiple Sclerosis, July 1, 2008; 14(6): 779 - 785. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M C. Otaduy, D Callegaro, L A Bacheschi, and C C Leite Correlation of magnetization transfer and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging in multiple sclerosis Multiple Sclerosis, November 1, 2006; 12(6): 754 - 759. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 H. Ni, V. Kavcic, T. Zhu, S. Ekholm, and J. Zhong Effects of number of diffusion gradient directions on derived diffusion tensor imaging indices in human brain. AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., September 1, 2006; 27(8): 1776 - 1781. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Y. Ge Multiple Sclerosis: The Role of MR Imaging AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., June 1, 2006; 27(6): 1165 - 1176. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A Pena, H A L Green, T A Carpenter, S J Price, J D Pickard, and J H Gillard Enhanced visualization and quantification of magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging using the p:q tensor decomposition Br. J. Radiol., February 1, 2006; 79(938): 101 - 109. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. M. Kealey, Y. Kim, W. L. Whiting, D. J. Madden, and J. M. Provenzale Determination of Multiple Sclerosis Plaque Size with Diffusion-Tensor MR Imaging: Comparison Study with Healthy Volunteers Radiology, August 1, 2005; 236(2): 615 - 620. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Y. Ge, M. Law, G. Johnson, J. Herbert, J. S. Babb, L. J. Mannon, and R. I. Grossman Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast Perfusion MR Imaging of Multiple Sclerosis Lesions: Characterizing Hemodynamic Impairment and Inflammatory Activity AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., June 1, 2005; 26(6): 1539 - 1547. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. Oreja-Guevara, M. Rovaris, G. Iannucci, P. Valsasina, D. Caputo, R. Cavarretta, M. P. Sormani, P. Ferrante, G. Comi, and M. Filippi Progressive Gray Matter Damage in Patients With Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: A Longitudinal Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study Arch Neurol, April 1, 2005; 62(4): 578 - 584. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. B. Ragin, P. Storey, B. A. Cohen, R. R. Edelman, and L. G. Epstein Disease burden in HIV-associated cognitive impairment: A study of whole-brain imaging measures Neurology, December 28, 2004; 63(12): 2293 - 2297. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M Symms, H R Jager, K Schmierer, and T A Yousry A review of structural magnetic resonance neuroimaging J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, September 1, 2004; 75(9): 1235 - 1244. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. D Coombs, A. Best, M. S Brown, D. E Miller, J. Corboy, M. Baier, and J. H Simon Multiple sclerosis pathology in the normal and abnormal appearing white matter of the corpus callosum by diffusion tensor imaging Multiple Sclerosis, August 1, 2004; 10(4): 392 - 397. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. P. Mycko, R. Papoian, U. Boschert, C. S. Raine, and K. W. Selmaj cDNA microarray analysis in multiple sclerosis lesions: detection of genes associated with disease activity Brain, May 1, 2003; 126(5): 1048 - 1057. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. B. Chepuri, Y.-F. Yen, J. H. Burdette, H. Li, D. M. Moody, and J. A. Maldjian Diffusion Anisotropy in the Corpus Callosum AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., May 1, 2002; 23(5): 803 - 808. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|