title: Spinal cord lesions and clinical status in multiple sclerosis: A 1.5 T and 3 T MRI study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Assess the relationship between spinal cord T2 hyperintense lesions and clinical status in multiple sclerosis (MS) with 1.5 and 3 T MRI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Whole cord T2-weighted fast spin-echo MRI was performed in 32 MS patients [Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score (mean+/-SD: 2+/-1.9), range 0-6.5]. Protocols at 1.5 T and 3 T were optimized and matched on voxel size.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Moderate correlations were found between whole cord lesion volume and EDSS score at 1.5 T (r(s)=.36, p=0.04), but not at 3 T (r(s)=0.13, p=0.46). Pyramidal Functional System Score (FSS) correlated with thoracic T2 lesion number (r(s)=.46, p=0.01) and total spinal cord lesion number (r(s)=0.37, p=0.04) and volume (r(s)=0.37, p=0.04) at 1.5 T. Bowel/bladder FSS correlated with T2 lesion volume and number in the cervical, thoracic, and total spine at 1.5 T (r(s) 0.40-0.57, all p<0.05). These MRI-FSS correlations were non-significant at 3 T. However, these correlation coefficients did not differ significantly between platforms (Choi's test p>0.05). Correlations between whole cord lesion volume and timed 25-foot walk were non-significant at 1.5 T and 3 T (p>0.05). Lesion number and volume did not differ between MRI platforms in the MS group (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the use of higher field MRI strength, the link between spinal lesions and MS disability remains weak. The 1.5 T and 3 T protocols yielded similar results for many comparisons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Partners MS Center, Harvard Medical School, Brookline, MA 02445, USA.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Stankiewicz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Neema
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Alsop
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Healy
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arora
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Buckle
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chitnis
authors.forename: C R G
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Guttmann
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hackney
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bakshi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010641:Phenotype; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae; D016138:Walking; D055815:Young Adult