Advanced Diffusion MR Imaging for Multiple Sclerosis in the Brain and Spinal Cord.

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.