Quantifying Optic Nerve Atrophy in MS: A Motion Insensitive Technique for the Anterior Portion of the Optic Nerve

Marios C. Yiannakas¹, Claudia Wheeler-Kingshott¹, Alaine M. Berry¹, Karyn Chappell¹, David H. Miller¹, Daniel J. Tozer¹

A new fast volumetric MRI technique is presented that can be used for the quantification of the optic nerve area in the anterior portion of the optic nerve. The technique is insensitive to motion due to its fast mode of acquisition and can be performed with most clinical MRI scanners. The technique is evaluated here on a limited number of healthy volunteers and compared with the most common imaging method currently in use. The results are presented with respect to the form of contrast that it produces along with a reproducibility assessment.