title: [Neuroimaging and functional analyses for multiple sclerosis].
abstract: For neuroimaging studies of multiple sclerosis(MS) lesions, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is most useful, while evoked potentials(EPs) are commonly used for functional analyses of neural damage due to MS. This review summarizes the MRI and EP findings in MS. MS lesions are visualized as high signal intensity lesions on T2-weighted images, proton density(PD)-weighted images, and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery(FLAIR) images, while such lesions demonstrate a low signal on T1-weighted images. New MS lesions are usually enhanced by gadolinium-DTPA on T1-weighted images, and the enhancement generally lasts 4 to 8 weeks. In Asian patients with MS, opticospinal MS(Asian-type MS) shows a significantly smaller numbers of brain MRI lesions than conventional MS(Western-type MS), while opticospinal MS shows a significantly higher frequency of the spinal cord atrophy on MRI than conventional MS. EPs are useful for detecting lesions located in certain portions of the central nervous system. MRI is not sensitive enough to detect small lesions in the optic nerves and spinal cord, whereas EPs are sensitive for optic nerve and spinal cord lesions. Thus, combined use of MRI and EPs is required for the diagnosis and the optimal monitoring of disease activity in MS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kira
mesh_terms: D003287:Contrast Media; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA