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Updated: Sep 20, 2025
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Multiple Sclerosis at 7.0 Tesla
Published on: February 19, 2021
Quantitative MRI in Multiple Sclerosis: From Theory to Application
M Tranfa1, G Pontillo2,3, M Petracca4
1From the Departments of Advanced Biomedical Sciences (M.T., G. Pontillo, A.B., E.T., S.C.).
Abstract:
Quantitative MR imaging techniques allow evaluating different aspects of brain microstructure, providing meaningful information about the pathophysiology of damage in CNS disorders. In the study of patients with MS, quantitative MR imaging techniques represent an invaluable tool for studying changes in myelin and iron content occurring in the context of inflammatory and neurodegenerative processes. In the first section of this review, we summarize the physics behind quantitative MR imaging, here defined as relaxometry and quantitative susceptibility mapping, and describe the neurobiological correlates of quantitative MR imaging findings. In the second section, we focus on quantitative MR imaging application in MS, reporting the main findings in both the gray and white matter compartments, separately addressing macroscopically damaged and normal-appearing parenchyma.
Insights
Quantitative MR imaging offers valuable insights into brain microstructure changes in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). This review details techniques like relaxometry and quantitative susceptibility mapping for assessing myelin and iron content in MS patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Biophysics
- Neurology
Background:
- Quantitative MR imaging provides insights into brain microstructure.
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS) involves inflammatory and neurodegenerative processes affecting myelin and iron content.
- Understanding these changes is crucial for MS pathophysiology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the physics and neurobiological correlates of quantitative MR imaging techniques.
- To summarize the applications and findings of quantitative MR imaging in MS.
- To analyze changes in both gray and white matter in MS patients.
Main Methods:
- Review of quantitative MR imaging physics, including relaxometry and quantitative susceptibility mapping.
- Analysis of neurobiological underpinnings of quantitative MR imaging findings.
- Synthesis of published data on quantitative MR imaging in Multiple Sclerosis.
Main Results:
- Quantitative MR imaging techniques like relaxometry and quantitative susceptibility mapping are sensitive to myelin and iron content.
- These techniques reveal microstructural changes in both normal-appearing and damaged brain parenchyma in MS.
- Findings are reported for both gray and white matter compartments in MS patients.
Conclusions:
- Quantitative MR imaging is an invaluable tool for studying MS pathophysiology.
- It allows for detailed assessment of myelin and iron alterations in MS.
- Further research can leverage these techniques for improved MS diagnosis and monitoring.
