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Updated: Oct 3, 2025
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Multiple Sclerosis at 7.0 Tesla
Published on: February 19, 2021
Advanced Diffusion MR Imaging for Multiple Sclerosis in the Brain and Spinal Cord
Masaaki Hori1,2, Tomoko Maekawa2, Kouhei Kamiya1,2
1Department of Radiology, Toho University Omori Medical Center.
Abstract:
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has been established its usefulness in evaluating normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) and other lesions that are difficult to evaluate with routine clinical MRI in the evaluation of the brain and spinal cord lesions in multiple sclerosis (MS), a demyelinating disease. With the recent advances in the software and hardware of MRI systems, increasingly complex and sophisticated MRI and analysis methods, such as q-space imaging, diffusional kurtosis imaging, neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging, white matter tract integrity, and multiple diffusion encoding, referred to as advanced diffusion MRI, have been proposed. These are capable of capturing in vivo microstructural changes in the brain and spinal cord in normal and pathological states in greater detail than DTI.This paper reviews the current status of recent advanced diffusion MRI for assessing MS in vivo as part of an issue celebrating two decades of magnetic resonance in medical sciences (MRMS), an official journal of the Japanese Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Insights
Advanced diffusion MRI techniques offer more detailed in vivo insights into brain and spinal cord microstructural changes than traditional DTI for multiple sclerosis (MS) assessment.
Area of Science:
- Medical Imaging
- Neuroscience
- Radiology
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease affecting the brain and spinal cord.
- Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) is useful for evaluating lesions and normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) in MS.
- Routine clinical MRI has limitations in assessing subtle microstructural changes in MS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advanced diffusion MRI techniques for in vivo assessment of MS.
- To highlight the capabilities of novel MRI methods beyond DTI.
- To discuss the application of these advanced techniques in understanding MS pathology.
Main Methods:
- Review of advanced diffusion MRI techniques including q-space imaging, diffusional kurtosis imaging, neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging, white matter tract integrity, and multiple diffusion encoding.
- Focus on in vivo imaging of brain and spinal cord in MS.
- Comparison of advanced methods with conventional DTI.
Main Results:
- Advanced diffusion MRI methods provide greater detail on in vivo microstructural changes in both normal and pathological states compared to DTI.
- These techniques can capture subtle changes in the white matter not detectable by routine MRI.
- The reviewed methods show promise for more comprehensive MS evaluation.
Conclusions:
- Advanced diffusion MRI represents a significant step forward in assessing MS pathology.
- These sophisticated techniques enhance our ability to study the microstructural basis of MS.
- The review contributes to understanding the evolving role of magnetic resonance in MS research.
