title: Cervical cord magnetization transfer ratio and clinical changes over 18 months in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: a preliminary study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) permits the quantitative estimation of cervical cord tissue damage in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether a single time-point MTR scan of the cervical cord is associated with short-term disease evolution in patients with relapsing-remitting (RR) MS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a 1.5-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system with a tailored cervical cord phased array coil, fast short-tau inversion recovery (fast-STIR) and MTR scans were obtained from 14 untreated patients with RRMS at baseline. Cervical cord MTR histograms were derived. Over the 18-month follow-up period, relapse rate was measured and disability assessed by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Average cervical cord MTR was correlated with relapse rate (r= -0.56, P=0.037). A moderate correlation (r values ranging from -0.33 to -0.36) between baseline cervical cord MTR metrics and EDSS changes over 18 months was also noted, albeit statistical significance was not reached (P = 0.26 and 0.21, respectively) perhaps because of the relatively small sample size.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that a 'snapshot' MT MRI assessment of the cervical cord may detect cervical cord tissue changes associated with short-term disease evolution in RRMS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Neuroimaging Research Unit, Scientific Institute and University Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Charil
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Caputo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cavarretta
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Sormani
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ferrante
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Filippi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000473:pathology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology*