title: The Relationship between Gray Matter Quantitative MRI and Disability in Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In secondary progressive Multiple Sclerosis (SPMS), global neurodegeneration as a driver of disability gains importance in comparison to focal inflammatory processes. However, clinical MRI does not visualize changes of tissue composition outside MS lesions. This quantitative MRI (qMRI) study investigated cortical and deep gray matter (GM) proton density (PD) values and T1 relaxation times to explore their potential to assess neuronal damage and its relationship to clinical disability in SPMS.
  
  
  METHODS
  11 SPMS patients underwent quantitative T1 and PD mapping. Parameter values across the cerebral cortex and deep GM structures were compared with 11 healthy controls, and correlation with disability was investigated for regions exhibiting significant group differences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PD was increased in the whole GM, cerebral cortex, thalamus, putamen and pallidum. PD correlated with disability in the whole GM, cerebral cortex, putamen and pallidum. T1 relaxation time was prolonged and correlated with disability in the whole GM and cerebral cortex.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggests that the qMRI parameters GM PD (which likely indicates replacement of neural tissue with water) and cortical T1 (which reflects cortical damage including and beyond increased water content) are promising qMRI candidates for the assessment of disease status, and are related to disability in SPMS.
authors: Department of Neurology, Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.|Brain Imaging Center, Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
authors: René-Maxime
authors: RM
authors: Gracien
authors: Department of Neuroradiology, Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.|Brain Imaging Center, Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
authors: Alina
authors: A
authors: Jurcoane
authors: Department of Neuroradiology, Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.|Brain Imaging Center, Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
authors: Marlies
authors: M
authors: Wagner
authors: Department of Neurology, Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.|Brain Imaging Center, Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
authors: Sarah C
authors: SC
authors: Reitz
authors: Department of Neurology, Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
authors: Christoph
authors: C
authors: Mayer
authors: Brain Imaging Center, Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
authors: Steffen
authors: S
authors: Volz
authors: Department of Neurology, Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.|Brain Imaging Center, Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
authors: Stephanie-Michelle
authors: SM
authors: Hof
authors: Department of Neurology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.|Neuroimaging Center (NIC) of the Focus Program Translational Neuroscience (FTN), Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.
authors: Vinzenz
authors: V
authors: Fleischer
authors: Department of Neurology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.|Neuroimaging Center (NIC) of the Focus Program Translational Neuroscience (FTN), Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.
authors: Amgad
authors: A
authors: Droby
authors: Department of Neurology, Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
authors: Helmuth
authors: H
authors: Steinmetz
authors: Department of Neurology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.|Neuroimaging Center (NIC) of the Focus Program Translational Neuroscience (FTN), Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.
authors: Frauke
authors: F
authors: Zipp
authors: Department of Neuroradiology, Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.|Brain Imaging Center, Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
authors: Elke
authors: E
authors: Hattingen
authors: Brain Imaging Center, Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
authors: Ralf
authors: R
authors: Deichmann
authors: Department of Neurology, Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.|Brain Imaging Center, Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.|Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
authors: Johannes C
authors: JC
authors: Klein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D066128:Gray Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D020528:Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*