T1/T2 ratio: A quantitative sensitive marker of brain tissue integrity in multiple sclerosis
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 1, 2026
Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Analysis of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Published on: July 28, 2013
Salem Hannoun1, Gabriel Kocevar2,3, Pekes Codjia2,4
1Medical Imaging Sciences Program, Division of Health Professions, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Background And Purpose:
The aim of this study is to determine whether cerebral white matter (WM) microstructural damage, defined by decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) and increased axial (AD) and radial (RD) diffusivities, could be detected as accurately by measuring the T1/T2 ratio, in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients compared to healthy control (HC) subjects.
Methods:
Twenty-eight RRMS patients and 24 HC subjects were included in this study. Region-based analysis based on the ICBM-81 diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) atlas WM labels was performed to compare T1/T2 ratio to DTI values in normal-appearing WM (NAWM) regions of interest. Lesions segmentation was also performed and compared to the HC global WM.
Results:
A significant 19.65% decrease of T1/T2 ratio values was observed in NAWM regions of RRMS patients compared to HC. A significant 6.30% decrease of FA, as well as significant 4.76% and 10.27% increases of AD and RD, respectively, were observed in RRMS compared to the HC group in various NAWM regions. Compared to the global WM HC mask, lesions have significantly decreased T1/T2 ratio and FA and increased AD and RD (p < . 001).
Conclusions:
Results showed significant differences between RRMS and HC in both DTI and T1/T2 ratio measurements. T1/T2 ratio even demonstrated extensive WM abnormalities when compared to DTI, thereby highlighting the ratio's sensitivity to subtle differences in cerebral WM structural integrity using only conventional MRI sequences.
Insights
The T1/T2 ratio effectively detects white matter (WM) damage in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients, showing abnormalities comparable to diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) using conventional MRI.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Radiology
- Neurology
Background:
- Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) is characterized by cerebral white matter (WM) microstructural damage.
- Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics like fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD) are used to quantify this damage.
- Conventional MRI sequences may offer a more accessible method for detecting WM abnormalities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the T1/T2 ratio's accuracy in detecting cerebral WM microstructural damage in RRMS patients compared to healthy controls (HC).
- To compare the sensitivity of T1/T2 ratio measurements with DTI metrics in identifying WM abnormalities in RRMS.
Main Methods:
- Twenty-eight RRMS patients and 24 HC subjects were analyzed.
- Region-based analysis using the ICBM-81 DTI atlas WM labels was performed on normal-appearing WM (NAWM) regions.
- T1/T2 ratio and DTI values were compared between RRMS patients and HC, with lesion segmentation also analyzed.
Main Results:
- A significant 19.65% decrease in T1/T2 ratio was observed in NAWM of RRMS patients compared to HC.
- Significant changes in DTI metrics were found in RRMS NAWM: 6.30% decrease in FA, 4.76% increase in AD, and 10.27% increase in RD.
- Lesions showed significant decreases in T1/T2 ratio and FA, and increases in AD and RD compared to global WM in HC.
Conclusions:
- Both DTI and T1/T2 ratio measurements revealed significant differences between RRMS patients and HC.
- The T1/T2 ratio demonstrated extensive WM abnormalities, comparable to or exceeding DTI's sensitivity.
- T1/T2 ratio is a sensitive marker for subtle cerebral WM structural integrity changes detectable with conventional MRI sequences.
