title: Nonconventional MRI and microstructural cerebral changes in multiple sclerosis.
abstract: MRI has become the most important paraclinical tool for diagnosing and monitoring patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, conventional MRI sequences are largely nonspecific in the pathology they reveal, and only provide a limited view of the complex morphological changes associated with MS. Nonconventional MRI techniques, such as magnetization transfer imaging (MTI), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) promise to complement existing techniques by revealing more-specific information on microstructural tissue changes. Past years have witnessed dramatic advances in the acquisition and analysis of such imaging data, and numerous studies have used these tools to probe tissue alterations associated with MS. Other MRI-based techniques-such as myelin-water imaging, (23)Na imaging, magnetic resonance elastography and magnetic resonance perfusion imaging-might also shed new light on disease-associated changes. This Review summarizes the rapid technical progress in the use of MRI in patients with MS, with a focus on nonconventional structural MRI. We critically discuss the present utility of nonconventional MRI in MS, and provide an outlook on future applications, including clinical practice. This information should allow appropriate selection of advanced MRI techniques, and facilitate their use in future studies of this disease.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroradiology, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 22, 8036 Graz, Austria.|Department of Neurology, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 22, 8036 Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Enzinger
authors.affiliation: VU University MS Center Amsterdam, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine and Department of Physics &Medical Technology, VU University Medical Center, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Frederik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barkhof
authors.affiliation: NMR Research Unit, Queen Square MS Centre, University College London Institute of Neurology, UK.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ciccarelli
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Filippi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ludwig
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kappos
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rocca
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 22, 8036 Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ropele
authors.affiliation: Magnetic Resonance Unit, Cemcat, Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Àlex
authors.initials: À
authors.lastname: Rovira
authors.affiliation: NMR Research Unit, Queen Square MS Centre, University College London Institute of Neurology, UK.
authors.forename: Torben
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological and Behavioural Sciences, University of Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: de Stefano
authors.affiliation: VU University MS Center Amsterdam, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine and Department of Physics &Medical Technology, VU University Medical Center, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vrenken
authors.affiliation: NMR Research Unit, Queen Square MS Centre, University College London Institute of Neurology, UK.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wheeler-Kingshott
authors.affiliation: Medical Image Analysis Center, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wuerfel
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 22, 8036 Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Franz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fazekas
mesh_terms: D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000473:pathology*; D059906:Neuroimaging