High field MRI correlates of myelin content and axonal density in multiple sclerosis
Abstract
Different MRI techniques are used to investigate multiple sclerosis (MS) in vivo. The pathological specificity of these techniques is poorly understood, in particular their relationship to demyelination and axonal loss. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pathological substrate of high field MRI in post-mortem (PM) spinal cord (SC) of patients with MS. MRI was performed in PMSCs of four MS patients and a healthy subject on a 7 Tesla machine. Quantitative MRI maps (PD; T2; T1; magnetization transfer ratio, MTR; diffusion weighted imaging) were obtained. After scanning, the myelin content and the axonal density of the specimens were evaluated neuropathologically using quantitative techniques. Myelin content and axonal density correlated strongly with MTR, T1, PD, and diffusion anisotropy, but only moderately with T2 and weakly with the apparent diffusion coefficient. Quantitative MR measures provide a promising tool to evaluate components of MS pathology that are clinically meaningful. Further studies are warranted to investigate the potential of new quantitative MR measures to enable a distinction between axonal loss and demyelination and between demyelinated and remyelinated lesions.
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Investigation of the pathological correlates of DWI in MS has been scarce.
“However, investigation of the pathological correlates of DWI in MS has been scarce (Mottershead et al., 2003; Wheeler-Kingshott et al., 2003b; Schmierer et al., 2004b; Fox et al., 2005).”
From Diffusion tensor imaging of post mortem multiple sclerosis brain (2007) · cites this paper as Mottershead et al., 2003
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- Authors
- Mottershead, J. P., Schmierer, K., Clemence, M., Thornton, J. S., Scaravilli, F., Barker, G. J., Tofts, P. S., Newcombe, J., Cuzner, M. L., Ordidge, R. J., McDonald, W. I., & Miller, D. H.
- Affiliations
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology (GB)
- University College London (GB)
- Venue
- Journal of Neurology
- Published
- 2003-11-01
- Volume
- 250
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 1293-1301
- ISSN
- 0012-1037 (ISSN-L)
- 0340-5354
- 1432-1459
- OpenAlex
- W2261445904
- Cited by
- 296
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 14
- FWCI
- 6.34
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Journal of Neurology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Multiple Sclerosis Society
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Multiple Sclerosis Research Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Advanced MRI Techniques and Applications
- Keywords
- multiple sclerosis, myelin content, axon density, demyelination, axonal loss, spinal cord, quantitative MRI, magnetization transfer ratio, diffusion anisotropy, apparent diffusion coefficient, T1 mapping, T2 mapping, proton density mapping, postmortem neuropathology, 7T MRI
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Axons, Female, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Multiple Sclerosis, Myelin Sheath, Radiography, Spinal Cord, Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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