Abstract #3613

Direct Comparison Between Macromolecular Proton Fraction, R1, Magnetization Transfer Ratio, and Lesion Volume as Predictors of Clinical Status in Multiple Sclerosis

Vasily L. Yarnykh¹, James D. Bowen², Alexey A. Samsonov³, Pavle Repovic², Angeli Mayadev², Bart P. Keogh², Beena Gangadharan², Hunter R. Underhill¹, Kenneth R. Maravilla¹, Lily K. Jung Henson²

¹Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States; ²Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, WA, United States; ³Radiology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States

Macromolecular proton fraction (MPF) is a key biophysical parameter determining magnetization transfer (MT) between water and macromolecules in tissues and a promising biomarker of demyelination in multiple sclerosis (MS). In this study, MPF measured in white matter, gray mater, and MS lesions was directly compared to more traditional quantitative MRI parameters, such as MT ratio (MTR), R1, and lesion volume on a population of MS patients. The results demonstrate the superiority of MPF in both discrimination of pathologic brain tissue changes and correlations with disability compared to the above quantitative MRI parameters.