Abstract #0215

Glutamate-Sensitive CEST in Cortical Gray Matter: Application to Cognitive Impairment in Multiple Sclerosis

Kristin P. O'Grady^1,2, Adrienne N. Dula^3,4,5, Bailey D. Lyttle^1,2, Benjamin N. Conrad², Bailey A. Box^1,2, Siddharama Pawate⁶, Francesca R. Bagnato⁶, and Seth A. Smith^1,2,7

¹Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States, ²Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States, ³Stroke Institute, Seton Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, United States, ⁴Department of Neurology, Seton Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, United States, ⁵Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, TX, United States, ⁶Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States, ⁷Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States

Altered glutamate regulation in gray matter (GM) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis (MS), but such pathology in GM is subtle and difficult to detect using conventional MRI techniques. In this work, we apply a quantitative, glutamate-sensitive chemical exchange saturation transfer (GluCEST) MRI technique at 7.0T to gain new insights into molecular changes underlying GM pathology and their relationship to cognitive impairment in MS. We found significant differences in cortical GM GluCEST contrast between healthy controls and patients with MS, and in some cortical regions, GluCEST contrast correlates significantly with measures of cognitive impairment.

This abstract and the presentation materials are available to members only; a login is required.

Join Here