Abstract #0060

Advanced MRI measures reveal sex differences in the Normal Appearing and Diffusely Abnormal White Matter of Multiple Sclerosis Brain

Irene Margaret Vavasour^1,2, Carina Graf^2,3, Shannon H Kolind^1,2,3,4,5, Peng Sun⁶, Robert Carruthers⁴, Anthony Traboulsee^4,5, GR Wayne Moore^2,7, David KB Li^1,4,5, and Cornelia Laule^1,2,3,7

¹Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, ²International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, ³Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, ⁴Medicine (Neurology), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, ⁵MS/MRI Research Group, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, ⁶Radiology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States, ⁷Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Diffusely abnormal white matter (DAWM) is a non-focal area of mildly increased signal on proton density and T₂-weighted images. Advanced imaging techniques (T₁ and T₂ relaxation and diffusion basis spectrum imaging) compared measures of myelin, axons, oedema and inflammation between males and females with multiple sclerosis in normal appearing white matter (NAWM) and areas of DAWM. In NAWM, males had higher axial diffusivity indicative of axonal damage. In DAWM, MRI measures suggested demyelination in females whereas axonal damage was suggested in males. Both sexes show increased T₁, GMT₂ and water content in DAWM likely related to oedema.

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