title: Age-related brain parenchymal fraction is significantly decreased in young multiple sclerosis patients: a quantitative MRI study.
abstract: The extent of brain atrophy was determined in 33 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and in 60 healthy subjects (21-76 years) by calculating brain parenchymal fractions (BPF, the ratio of brain parenchymal to intracranial volume) from 3D MRI. Within the normal data base, subjects at higher ages showed significantly lower BPF values. In younger MS patients, BPF was significantly decreased compared with age-matched controls (20-29 years, p= 0.0022; 30-39 years, =p 0.0001; 40-49 years,p = 0.0444) and was significantly correlated with disease duration and disease severity, but not with the number of detectable MS lesions. Determination of age-related BPF demonstrated significant brain atrophy in early MS and can be considered as a useful biological marker for monitoring MS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kassubek
authors.forename: Hayrettin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tumani
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ecker
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kurt
authors.forename: Albert C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Ludolph
authors.forename: Freimut D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Juengling
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001284:Atrophy; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000175:diagnosis*