To study the relationship between microstructure and disability, 18 ex-vivo spinal cords from a mouse model of MS (EAE) were investigated using DKI and a biophysical model of diffusion. Diffusion data were acquired together with T2* images to delineate lesions. Kurtosis tensors and microstructural parameters were used for statistical analysis using a LME model. The results show a strong relation between disability and kurtosis tensor parameters similar to observations in other hypomyelinating MS models and in patients. Conversely, changes in model parameters, such as extra-axonal axial diffusivity, are clearly different from previous studies using other animal models of MS.
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