Abstract #3118

Multi-Component Relaxation in Untreated Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

Hagen H. Kitzler¹, Jason Su², Frank Noack¹, Christine Schmidt¹, Tjalf Ziemssen³, Sean C. Deoni⁴, Brian K. Rutt²

¹Department of Neuroradiology, Technische Universitaet Dresden, Dresden, SN, Germany; ²Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, United States; ³Department of Neurology, Technische Universitaet Dresden, Dresden, SN, Germany; ⁴Department of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States

Multi-component Driven Equilibrium Single Pulse Observation of T1 and T2 (mcDESPOT) allows quantifying myelination by means of myelin water fraction (MWF) measure. This technique was applied in a clinical trial in a cohort of untreated relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients. Histogram and voxel-based analysis (VBA) results of preliminary baseline data is presented. The RRMS cohort was compared to a group of age-matched healthy controls. RRMS subjects differed significantly from controls in mean MWF and its distribution characteristics. We found most significant differences between the two cohorts in the whole brain Deficient MWF Volume (DV) a VBA measure recently introduced.