title: Diffusion tensor MR imaging of the cervical spinal cord in patients with multiple sclerosis.
abstract: Our purpose was to evaluate the ability of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to characterize cervical spinal cord white matter (WM) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). DTI were obtained in 21 MS patients and 21 control subjects (CS). Regions of interest (ROIs) were placed at C2/3, C3/4, and C4/5 within the right, left, and dorsal (WM) to calculate fractional anisotropy (FA) and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). Measurements in plaques and normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) of MS patients were compared with mean FA and ADC of WM in CS. FA was significantly lower in all regions in MS patients than in CS. ADC was significantly higher in all regions in MS patients than in CS except for in the dorsal WM at C2/3 and the bilateral WM at C4/5. The mean FA was 0.441 for plaques and 0.542 for NAWM, as compared with 0.739 in CS. The mean ADC was 0.810 x 10(-3) mm(2)/s for plaques and 0.722 x 10(-3) mm(2)/s for NAWM, as compared with 0.640 x 10(-3) mm(2)/s for CS. FA and ADC showed significant differences between plaques, NAWM and control WM(P < 0.01).
authors.affiliation: Division of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Department of Imaging Science, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA. ohgiya@med.showa-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yoshimitsu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohgiya
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oka
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hiwatashi
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Naoya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kakimoto
authors.forename: Per-Lennart A
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Westesson
authors.forename: Sven E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Ekholm
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009333:Neck; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology*