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Updated: Sep 17, 2025
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Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Multiple Sclerosis at 7.0 Tesla
Published on: February 19, 2021
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Paramagnetic rim lesions in early multiple sclerosis: a 7 Tesla imaging study
Habeeb F Kazimuddin1,2,3, Jiacheng Wang4, Ahmad A Toubasi1
1Neuroimaging Unit, Neuroimmunology Division, Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), Nashville, TN 37212, USA.
Brain Communications
|June 30, 2025
Summary
Paramagnetic rim lesions (PRL) indicate active inflammation in multiple sclerosis. Their presence at diagnosis correlates with greater disease severity, suggesting PRL are early indicators of a more aggressive multiple sclerosis presentation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging and Neurology
- Biomarkers in Multiple Sclerosis
Background:
- Paramagnetic rim lesions (PRL) are recognized as biomarkers of chronic active lesions (CAL) in multiple sclerosis (MS).
- The precise relationship between CAL and disease severity in MS, particularly at early stages, remains incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between PRL and clinical/radiological indicators of disease severity.
- To examine these relationships at the time of diagnosis for multiple sclerosis (MS), clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), or radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS).
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional, prospective study involving 64 treatment-naïve individuals with newly diagnosed MS, CIS, or RIS.
- High-resolution 7.0 Tesla MRI including susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) and neurocognitive assessments.
- Statistical analyses included Welch's t-test, Pearson's Chi-square test, and Pearson's correlation.
Main Results:
- Paramagnetic rim lesions (PRL) were detected in 46.8% of participants.
- Individuals with PRL exhibited a higher T2-lesion burden, reduced thalamic and amygdala volumes, and cortical thinning (P ≤ 0.05).
- PRL-positive individuals showed poorer performance on the 9-Hole Peg Test and Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-revised (P ≤ 0.05).
Conclusions:
- The presence of PRL at the time of diagnosis is associated with specific clinical and radiological markers of disease severity in early MS.
- Paramagnetic rim lesions (PRL) serve as valuable qualitative indicators of a more aggressive disease presentation in multiple sclerosis.
