Abstract #4561

Investigating multi-compartment diffusion MRI models in the cervical spinal cord of multiple sclerosis patients

Kurt G Schilling¹, Kristin P O'Grady^1,2, Samantha By³, Haley Feiler¹, Francesca Bagnato⁴, Bennett A Landman^1,5,6,7, and Seth A Smith^1,5,8

¹Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, TN, United States, ²Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medial Center, Nashvillet, TN, United States, ³Hyperfine Research Inc, Guilford, CT, United States, ⁴Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States, ⁵Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States, ⁶Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States, ⁷Electrical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States, ⁸Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States

We investigate multi-compartment diffusion MRI models in the in vivo spinal cord of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. We find significant differences in diffusion measures of tissue microstructure and diffusivity indices between healthy controls (N=21) and MS patients (N=12). We also explore their relationships to clinical data, including disability scores, 25-foot walk tests, and disease duration, and note unique trends in these measures with increasing disability. These models may enable improved in vivo characterization of the spinal cord in MS patients and enable quantification of changes in meaningful tissue microstructure indices.

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