Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Compared with conventional T2-weighted MR
imaging, diffusion tensor MR imaging provides quantitative indices
with increased specificity to the most destructive aspects of multiple
sclerosis. In this study, we obtained brain mean diffusivity (_D)
and fractional anisotropy histograms of patients with multiple sclerosis
to compare them with those of healthy volunteers and to investigate
the correlation between diffusion tensor MR imaging histogram-derived
measures and the level of disability and quantities derived from
conventional MR imaging. METHODS: Dual-echo and diffusion tensor
MR images were obtained from 78 patients with relapsing-remitting,
secondary progressive, or primary progressive multiple sclerosis
and from 20 healthy control volunteers. After obtaining mean diffusivity
(_D) and fractional anisotropy images and image coregistration,
_D and fractional anisotropy histograms were created. From each
histogram, the following measures were derived: the average _D and
fractional anisotropy, the histogram peak heights, and the histogram
peak locations. RESULTS: All the _D and fractional anisotropy histogram-derived
measures were different between patients and controls at a significance
level of P <.001. No differences were found in any of the considered
quantities among the three multiple sclerosis phenotypes. In patients
with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, disability was correlated
with histogram average_D (r = 0.4, P =.01) and peak height (r =
-0.4, P =.01). In patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis,
disability was correlated with fractional anisotropy histogram peak
position (r = -0.6, P =.01). Significant correlations were also
found between T2 lesion load and various diffusion tensor MR quantities.
CONCLUSION: This study shows that brain _D and fractional anisotropy
histograms are different for patients with multiple sclerosis compared
with control volunteers. This study also shows that quantities derived
from diffusion tensor MR imaging are correlated with disability
in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis and secondary
progressive multiple sclerosis, suggesting that they might serve
as additional measures of outcome when monitoring multiple sclerosis
evolution in these patients.
- 11337342
- adult,
- anisotropy,
- comparative
- disability
- evaluation,
- female,
- gov't,
- humans,
- imaging,
- magnetic
- male,
- multiple
- non-u.s.
- reference
- research
- resonance
- sclerosis,
- study,
- support,
- values,
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