Is It Possible to Discriminate Active MS Lesions with Diffusion Weighted Imaging?

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Radiology
• Biomarkers

Background:

• Gadolinium deposition from repeated MRI contrast enhances risks in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.
• Identifying active versus chronic MS lesions without contrast is crucial for patient management.
• Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) mapping offer potential non-contrast biomarkers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of mean apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values and signal intensities (SI) on DWI in distinguishing active from non-active MS lesions.
• To assess if DWI and ADC values can serve as biomarkers for MS lesion activity without contrast administration.

Main Methods:

• 25 MS patients were included in the study.
• Mean ADC and normalized DWI SI values were measured for active lesions, non-active lesions, and normal-appearing white matter (NAWM).
• Measurements were compared between lesion types and with normal white matter (NWM) from both MS patients and a control group.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant difference was observed in normalized DWI SI between active and non-active lesions (p<0.050).
• No statistically significant difference was found in normalized ADC values between active and non-active lesions (p>0.050).
• MS lesions exhibited higher mean ADC values compared to NAWM and normal healthy white matter (NHWM).

Conclusions:

• Diffusion alterations in MS lesions can be quantitatively assessed using ADC mapping.
• ADC mapping shows potential for characterizing MS lesions, with higher ADC values in lesions compared to normal white matter.
• Further research may refine DWI/ADC parameters for differentiating active MS lesions without contrast agents.