Abstract #3739

Cervical spinal cord cross-sectional area correlates with myelin water fraction in progressive multiple sclerosis

Irene M Vavasour^1,2, Sharada Balaji³, Cornelia Laule^1,2,3,4, Roger Tam^1,5, David KB Li¹, Anthony Traboulsee⁶, and Shannon Kolind^1,2,3,6

¹Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, ²International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, ³Physics & Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, ⁴Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, ⁵Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, ⁶Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Synopsis

Keywords: Multiple Sclerosis, Multiple Sclerosis

Motivation: Advanced MRI techniques may give insight into the mechanisms leading to spinal cord atrophy in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Goal(s): To assess myelin damage in relation to cross-sectional area (CSA) in MS cervical cord.

Approach: 28 people living with MS and 19 controls were scanned between C1-C5 at 3T using CALIPR. Spinal Cord Toolbox was used to determine CSA and mean MWF at C2-C3.

Results: Myelin water fraction at C2-C3 was correlated with cross-sectional area in progressive multiple sclerosis, indicating a possible link between myelin loss and cord atrophy.

Impact: By examining both cross-sectional area and myelin water fraction in multiple sclerosis spinal cord, we may be able to differentiate volume loss due to potentially reversible demyelination from irreversible axonal loss.

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