title: A preliminary study of magnetization transfer and diffusion tensor MRI of multiple sclerosis patients with fatigue.
abstract: To investigate whether multiple sclerosis (MS) tissue damage is associated with the presence and severity of fatigue, we obtained magnetization transfer (MT) and diffusion tensor (DT) magnetic resonance imaging from 28 patients with MS (14 with and 14 without fatigue). MT ratio and mean diffusivity did not differ between fatigued and non-fatigued MS patients. No correlation was found between Fatigue Severity Scale scores and any of the MT and DT MRI-derived quantities. This preliminary study suggests that the severity of overall MS pathology in the brain seems not to be a critical factor contributing to the development of fatigue in MS.
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Research Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Scientific Institute and University Ospedale San Raffaele, Via Olgettina, 60, 20132 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Codella
authors.forename: Maria Assunta
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rocca
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Comi
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Filippi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013223:Statistics as Topic