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Published on: September 4, 2021
Assessing optic nerve integrity in optic neuritis with conventional magnetic resonance imaging
Helena Sánchez-Ulloa1, Neus Mongay-Ochoa1, Manel Alberich1
1From the BCN Medtech, Department of Engineering, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Neuroradiology Group, Vall d'Hebron Institut Recerca, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Neurology. Centre d'Esclerosi Múltiple de Catalunya (CEMCAT), Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University G. D'Annunzio of Chieti, Italy; School of Medicine and Surgery and Milan Centre for Neuroscience (NeuroMI), University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy; Estacio de Sá University, Brazil; Neuroradiology Section, Radiology Department (IDI), Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain; Neurophysiology Section, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain; and Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.
This study shows that T1/T2 MRI signal ratios can detect optic nerve lesions in multiple sclerosis patients. Inter-eye asymmetry effectively identifies these lesions, aiding in diagnosis and monitoring optic nerve health.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Ophthalmology
- Radiology
Background:
- Optic nerve integrity is crucial for vision.
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) frequently affects the optic nerve, leading to visual impairment.
- Assessing optic nerve lesions non-invasively is essential for MS management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the T1-weighted/T2-weighted (T1/T2) MRI signal intensity ratio for assessing optic nerve integrity.
- To determine if inter-eye asymmetry in T1/T2 ratios can identify optic nerve lesions.
- To explore the utility of automated tools for lesion detection.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 49 MS patients and 18 healthy controls was studied.
- Automated segmentation generated optic nerve masks for T1/T2 ratio analysis.
- Inter-eye asymmetry was calculated, and its ability to detect lesions was assessed via logistic regression.
Main Results:
- Eyes with optic nerve lesions exhibited significantly lower T1/T2 ratios compared to healthy eyes.
- Inter-eye asymmetry showed strong discriminative performance (AUC=0.83, sensitivity=0.74, specificity=0.82).
- Automated segmentation achieved moderate agreement with manual segmentation (Dice=0.53).
Conclusions:
- Conventional MRI, specifically T1/T2 ratios, provides valuable information on optic nerve status.
- Inter-eye asymmetry is a promising biomarker for detecting optic nerve lesions in MS.
- Automated analysis tools can aid in the detection of optic nerve lesions.
