Spinal cord diffusion-tensor imaging and motor-evoked potentials in multiple sclerosis patients: microstructural and...

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neurology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease affecting the central nervous system.
• Assessing spinal cord structural damage and its correlation with clinical disability is crucial for understanding MS progression.
• Diffusion-tensor (DT) imaging offers insights into white matter microstructure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between intrinsic spinal cord structural damage and clinical disability in MS patients.
• To correlate spinal cord DT imaging data with electrophysiological parameters.

Main Methods:

• Spinal cord DT images and conventional MRI were acquired from 41 MS patients and 28 healthy volunteers.
• Fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficients were measured in normal-appearing white matter (NAWM).
• Electrophysiological parameters, including motor-evoked potentials and central motor conduction time (CMCT), were recorded and correlated with imaging findings.

Main Results:

• MS patients exhibited asymmetric decreases in FA within spinal cord NAWM.
• Significant correlations were found between structural asymmetries (FA) and functional deficits (CMCT) in the cervical lateral funiculi.
• Asymmetric electrophysiological deficits were observed for both upper and lower extremities in MS patients.

Conclusions:

• DT imaging demonstrates asymmetric structural changes in the spinal cord's NAWM in MS.
• These anatomic changes correspond to asymmetric electrophysiological deficits, indicating a structure-function relationship.
• The findings underscore the utility of DT imaging in characterizing MS-related spinal cord pathology.