Abstract #1050

Diffusion Tensor Tractography Identifies Demyelination and Remyelination in the Spinal Cord of a Mouse Model of Multiple Sclerosis

Nabeela Nathoo¹, Dayae Jeong², Tad Foniok³, Michael B. Keough⁴, V. Wee Yong⁴, Jeffrey F. Dunn¹,⁵

¹Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; ²Rice University, Houston, TX, United States; ³National Research Council Canada, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; ⁴Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; ⁵Experimental Imaging Centre, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) visualize white matter tracts and use scalar values to inform on tissue integrity. Using a demyelinating animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS), the lysolecithin model, we observed that DTT enabled visual differentiation between demyelination and remyelination in a lesion in the spinal cord. Scalar values (FA, ADC, AD, RD, MD) were all found to be significantly different from a control area at the time of demyelination (p<0.01 for all), but not during remyelination. For the first time, we show that DTT can be used to assess demyelination/remyelination in the lysolecithin model.