A three year follow-up study of gadolinium enhanced and non-enhanced regions in multiple sclerosis lesions using a multi-compartment T2 relaxometry model.

摘要: Demyelination, axonal damage and inflammation are critical indicators of the onset progress neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) in patients. Due to physical limitations imaging acquisition time resolution, a voxel MR image is heterogeneous terms tissue microstructure myelin, axons, intra extra cellular fluids free water. We present multi-compartment model which estimates water fraction (WF) tissues with short, medium high T 2 relaxation times relaxometry MRI voxel. The proposed method validated on test-retest data healthy controls. This was then used study longitudinal trends microstructures for two sub-regions lesions: gadolinium enhanced (E+) non-enhanced (L−) regions MS lesions 10 patients over period three years. values E+ L− were found be significantly different (p < 0.05) first months. results this also showed that brain have potential distinguish between undergoing active blood barrier breakdown from other lesion.