Quantitative T2' imaging in patients with clinically isolated syndrome

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Background:

• T2' imaging detects oxygen saturation changes in normal-appearing white and grey matter (NAWM, NAGM) in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).
• Clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) is an early stage of MS, and understanding its early changes is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate T2' imaging alterations in CIS patients.
• To explore the association between T2' values and conventional MRI metrics and clinical outcomes in CIS.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative T2- and T2*-weighted MRI scans were performed on 32 treatment-naive CIS patients and 15 healthy controls (HC).
• T2' values were measured in six regions of interest (ROIs).

Main Results:

• No significant differences in T2' values were found between CIS patients and HC.
• T2' values positively correlated with T2 lesion volume (T2LV) in CIS patients.
• Frontal NAWM T2' values correlated with T2LV and T2 lesion count.

Conclusions:

• Unlike RRMS, CIS patients do not exhibit T2' alterations compared to HC.
• The correlation between T2LV and T2' values indicates T2' may reflect disease evolution in CIS.
• Metabolic changes in CIS might be compensated, becoming apparent later in the disease course.