Magnetic resonance imaging surrogates of multiple sclerosis pathology and their relationship to central nervous system atrophy.
This article focuses on the various magnetic resonance imaging metrics currently used in multiple sclerosis and discusses how they relate to central nervous system atrophy. The authors discuss the significance of T2 lesion burden, gray matter damage, T1 hypointense lesions (black holes), contrast-enhanced lesions, magnetization transfer imaging, diffusion imaging, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy. These magnetic resonance imaging surrogates exhibit different sensitivities for each of the underlying pathogenic processes of multiple sclerosis. By exploiting the complementary nature and varying sensitivities of these magnetic resonance imaging surrogates, it is possible to create a more comprehensive picture of the degenerative process of multiple sclerosis.
Meier
Dominik S
DS
Center for Neurological Imaging, Partners Multiple Sclerosis Center, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 221 Longwood Avenue, RFB 396, Boston, MA 02115, USA. meier@bwh.harvard.edu
Weiner
Howard L
HL
Khoury
Samia J
SJ
Guttmann
Charles R G
CR
D001284:Atrophy / Q000473:pathology; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000473:pathology*