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Comprehensive Autopsy Program for Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis
Published on: July 19, 2019
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High-resolution myelin water imaging in post-mortem multiple sclerosis spinal cord: A case report
Cornelia Laule1, Andrew Yung2, Vlady Pavolva3
1Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada/Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada/International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada corree@physics.ubc.ca.
Multiple Sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)
|January 29, 2016
Summary
Post-mortem MRI successfully measured myelin water fraction (MWF) across the entire spinal cord in multiple sclerosis (MS) tissue. This technique reveals detailed myelin distribution and loss in MS lesions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- Histopathology
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) involves myelin loss in the spinal cord, contributing to disability.
- Myelin water fraction (MWF) imaging can measure myelin in vivo.
- MWF has not been assessed across the entire length of the spinal cord in MS.
Observation:
- High-field MRI (7T) was used to image 104 cross-sections of a formalin-fixed spinal cord from an MS patient.
- The imaging technique involved a 64-echo T2 relaxation experiment.
- The study assessed the feasibility of measuring MWF distribution throughout the entire spinal cord.
Findings:
- Myelin water maps provided detailed visualization of spinal cord anatomy.
- White matter exhibited higher MWF than grey matter.
- Myelin distribution varied anatomically along cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions.
- MS lesions were clearly identified by myelin loss.
Implications:
- Post-mortem MRI is a feasible method for assessing spinal cord myelin in MS.
- This technique allows for detailed mapping of myelin changes throughout the entire spinal cord.
- Future studies can utilize this method to better understand MS pathology and progression.
