title: A comparison between magnetization transfer ratios and myelin water percentages in normals and multiple sclerosis patients.
abstract: Magnetization transfer and T2 relaxation data were obtained for five white and six gray matter brain structures from 10 normal volunteers and 9 multiple sclerosis patients. Thirty MS lesions were also analyzed. Magnetization transfer ratios and myelin water percentages were compared. Both techniques showed a significant difference between the average of white and gray matter of the normal volunteers as well as the average of normal-appearing white matter and gray matter of the multiple sclerosis patients. The average magnetization transfer ratio and myelin water percentage for lesions were significantly lower than those of normal-appearing white matter. Myelin water percentages and magnetization transfer ratios were uncorrelated in white and gray matter but showed a small (R = 0.5, P = 0.005) but significant correlation in multiple sclerosis lesions. In summary, the myelin water percentage and the magnetization transfer ratio provide quantifiable but largely independent measures of multiple sclerosis lesion pathology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Vavasour
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Whittall
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: MacKay
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vorobeychik
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Paty
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001834:Body Water / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity