title: Quantitative evaluation of cerebral white matter in patients with multiple sclerosis using multicomponent T2 mapping.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) investigation of white matter (WM) areas with visible or expected pathology does not explain satisfactorily the relation between pathology and clinical outcome. Therefore, we focused on multicomponent T2 mapping of WM with the intention to characterize the WM, including normal-appearing white matter that has normal and prolonged T2 and lesions, including degenerated tissue.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-nine patients with clinically diagnosed MS and 27 healthy controls underwent MRI examination. T2 mapping of the WM across the two whole MRI slices was carried out. The relative abundance of biologically relevant T2 regions was correlated with age and the expanded disability status scale (EDSS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The relative abundance of the T2 values of water trapped in myelin increased with age in both healthy subjects (p < 0.05) and MS patients (p < 0.05). The relative abundance of intermediate T2 assigned to intra- and extracellular water decreased with age in both groups (p < 0.05) and with EDSS (p < 0.005) in the MS patients. The mixed water pools with a T2 above 110 ms were not related to age, but strongly increased with EDSS (p < 0.000005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that multicomponent T2 mapping of the WM can be a useful parameter for monitoring the progression of MS in patients.
authors.affiliation: a Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Biomedical Centre BioMed, Division of Neuroscience , Comenius University , Martin , Slovakia.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Baranovicova
authors.affiliation: b Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, High Field MR Center , Medical University of Vienna , Vienna , Austria.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mlynarik
authors.affiliation: c Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Clinic of Neurology , Comenius University , Martin , Slovakia.
authors.forename: Ema
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kantorova
authors.affiliation: a Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Biomedical Centre BioMed, Division of Neuroscience , Comenius University , Martin , Slovakia.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hnilicova
authors.affiliation: d Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Biochemistry , Comenius University , Martin , Slovakia.
authors.forename: Dusan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dobrota
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000473:pathology*; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000473:pathology; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D066127:White Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Aging; Multiple sclerosis; Myelin; Relaxometry; White matter