Segmentation of a Novel Lesion Type from MTR Images for Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Trials

Robert A. Brown¹, Sridar Narayanan¹, Douglas L. Arnold¹

Multiple sclerosis is characterized by white matter lesions which are apparent on T2-weighted MRI. Lesions that enhance on T1-weighted scans with gadolinium contrast agent have also been used extensively as a surrogate marker in trials of new treatments. However, neither of these lesion types is specific to myelin destruction or repair. We suggest a new type of lesion, segmented from MTR images that are specific to myelin, and demonstrate their utility for clinical trials in an example study of remyelination in multiple sclerosis.