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Abstract #1093

Relating Clinical Disability to Brain Volume and Myelin Water Measurements in Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

Anna Combes1, Gareth John Barker1, Arshia Seddigh2, Naomi Sibtain2, Anthony L. Traboulsee3, Steven C.R. Williams1, Peter A. Brex2, Shannon H. Kolind3

1Department of Neuroimaging, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; 2King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom; 3Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada


Cerebral atrophy and demyelination are features of primary progressive multiple sclerosis thought to be linked to disability. We aimed to relate regional atrophy and myelin damage with clinical scores in a patient group. Whole-brain and grey matter volumes obtained with FSL-SIENAX, and myelin water fraction measured using mcDESPOT, were significantly decreased, and ventricular volume increased, compared to matched controls. Manual dexterity and cognitive processing scores were negatively associated with ventricular enlargement, while manual dexterity was associated with myelin water fraction in the corpus callosum. These results attest to the suitability of both techniques to demonstrate clinicoradiological correlations in this population.