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Updated: Jul 17, 2026
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Comprehensive Autopsy Program for Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis
Published on: July 19, 2019
Myelin water imaging in multiple sclerosis: quantitative correlations with histopathology
1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Canada. claule@physics.ubc.ca
Multiple Sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)
|February 1, 2007
Summary
Myelin water imaging accurately measures myelin density in brain samples. This magnetic resonance technique shows strong correlation with histopathology, validating its use for studying demyelinating diseases like multiple sclerosis.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Histopathology
- Biomarker Validation
Background:
- Magnetic resonance (MR) techniques are crucial for studying demyelinating diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS).
- Validation of MR-derived measurements against histopathology is limited.
- Myelin water imaging offers a potential MR measure of myelin content.
Purpose of the Study:
- To correlate myelin water imaging (MWI) measurements with quantitative histopathologic measures of myelin density.
- To validate MWI as a reliable indicator of myelin content in the brain.
Main Methods:
- Utilized multi-echo T2 relaxation MR experiments on 25 formalin-fixed MS brain samples.
- Determined the multi-component T2 distribution of water.
- Calculated myelin water fraction (MWF) by analyzing T2 signal below 30 milliseconds.
Main Results:
- Compared MWF with Luxol fast blue myelin stain optical density (OD) across various regions of interest.
- Observed a strong correlation between MWF and myelin stain OD (mean R2 = 0.67).
- Demonstrated a quantitative relationship between MR-derived MWF and histopathologic myelin density.
Conclusions:
- Myelin water imaging (MWF) is a validated MR measure of myelin density.
- This quantitative technique holds significant potential for in vivo monitoring of demyelination and remyelination.
- Applications include tracking disease progression and treatment response in various myelin disorders.
