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Abstract #2981

Normal appearing white matter and tracts in patients with multiple sclerosis: susceptibility properties and clinical disability evaluation

Cristiana Fiscone1, Ivan Panzera2, David Neil Manners3,4, Fiorina Bartiromo3, Gianfranco Vornetti1,3, Virginia Pollarini3, Leonardo Rundo5, Raffaele Lodi1,3, Fulvio Zaccagna6,7,8, Mauro Castelli9, Alessandra Lugaresi1,2, and Caterina Tonon1,3
1Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy, 2UOSI Riabilitazione Sclerosi Multipla, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy, 3Functional and Molecular Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy, 4Department for Life Quality Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy, 5Department of Information and Electrical Engineering and Applied Mathematics, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy, 6Department of Imaging, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom, 7Department of Radiology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom, 8Investigative Medicine Division, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom, 9NOVA Information Management School, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

Synopsis

Keywords: Multiple Sclerosis, Multiple Sclerosis

Motivation: Magnetic susceptibility is influenced by myelin concentration, playing a significant role in the pathogenesis of MS as a demyelinating disease.

Goal(s): This study aims to investigate normal-appearing-white-matter in MS patients using QSM, focusing on the cortico-spinal tract and optic radiation, to find non-invasive biomarkers of pre-clinical inflammatory activity.

Approach: The automated implemented pipeline relies on the acquisition of multiple MR sequences. Several susceptibility histogram properties were considered and correlated with disability scores.

Results: A decrease in myelin concentration was detected in MS group, consistently with the pathophysiology. Correlations between susceptibility and clinical disability occur, distinguishing clinical phenotypes and levels of motor impairment.

Impact: Studying the normal-appearing-white-matter tracts using QSM reveals decrease in myelin concentration within cortico-spinal tract and optic radiation in MS patients. Variations were observed between different clinical phenotypes and various levels of motor impairment, suggesting biomarkers for early diagnosis and prognosis.

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Abstract

Keywords