Meeting Banner
Abstract #4561

Investigating multi-compartment diffusion MRI models in the cervical spinal cord of multiple sclerosis patients

Kurt G Schilling1, Kristin P O'Grady1,2, Samantha By3, Haley Feiler1, Francesca Bagnato4, Bennett A Landman1,5,6,7, and Seth A Smith1,5,8
1Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, TN, United States, 2Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medial Center, Nashvillet, TN, United States, 3Hyperfine Research Inc, Guilford, CT, United States, 4Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States, 5Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States, 6Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States, 7Electrical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States, 8Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States

We investigate multi-compartment diffusion MRI models in the in vivo spinal cord of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. We find significant differences in diffusion measures of tissue microstructure and diffusivity indices between healthy controls (N=21) and MS patients (N=12). We also explore their relationships to clinical data, including disability scores, 25-foot walk tests, and disease duration, and note unique trends in these measures with increasing disability. These models may enable improved in vivo characterization of the spinal cord in MS patients and enable quantification of changes in meaningful tissue microstructure indices.

This abstract and the presentation materials are available to members only; a login is required.

Join Here