Magnetic resonance imaging in the monitoring of disease progression in multiple sclerosis

Disease progression and irreversible disability in multiple sclerosis results from incomplete recovery from relapses, but most importantly from insidious disease progression. Although magnetic resonance imaging parameters, such as new lesion rate and gadolinium enhancement, reflect inflammation and disease activity they have no bearing on disease progression. Until now the T2 lesion load or disease burden has been relied upon for this, despite its poor relationship with disability measures. This paper looks at the mechanisms responsible for disease progression and discusses the MR techniques now available to reflect these pathological processes.

[1]  F Barkhof,et al.  Comparison of four potential MR parameters for severe tissue destruction in multiple sclerosis lesions. , 1997, Magnetic resonance imaging.

[2]  F. Barkhof,et al.  Histopathologic correlate of hypointense lesions on T1-weighted spin-echo MRI in multiple sclerosis , 1998, Neurology.

[3]  D. Miller,et al.  Lesion volume measurement in multiple sclerosis: How important is accurate repositioning? , 1996, Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI.

[4]  S. Reingold,et al.  The role of magnetic resonance techniques in understanding and managing multiple sclerosis. , 1998, Brain : a journal of neurology.

[5]  M Filippi,et al.  A Magnetization Transfer Imaging Study of Normal-Appearing White Matter in Multiple Sclerosis , 1995, Neurology.

[6]  A J Thompson,et al.  PRIMARY PROGRESSIVE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS , 1997 .

[7]  A J Thompson,et al.  Progressive cerebral atrophy in multiple sclerosis. A serial MRI study. , 1996, Brain : a journal of neurology.

[8]  M A Horsfield,et al.  Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging in multiple sclerosis. , 1998, Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry.

[9]  M. Horsfield,et al.  Intra- and inter-observer agreement of brain MRI lesion volume measurements in multiple sclerosis. A comparison of techniques. , 1995, Brain : a journal of neurology.

[10]  A. J. Thompson,et al.  Multiple sclerosis: assessment of disability and disability scales , 1998, Journal of Neurology.

[11]  J K Udupa,et al.  Global volumetric estimation of disease burden in multiple sclerosis based on magnetization transfer imaging. , 1997, AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology.

[12]  P. Tofts,et al.  T1 hypointense lesion load in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis: a comparison of pre versus post contrast loads and of manual versus semi automated threshold techniques for lesion segmentation , 1998, Multiple sclerosis.

[13]  C. Thomsen,et al.  Increased water self‐diffusion in chronic plaques and in apparently normal white matter in patients with multiple sclerosis , 1993, Acta neurologica Scandinavica.

[14]  P M Matthews,et al.  Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of human brain in vivo in the evaluation of multiple sclerosis: Assessment of the load of disease , 1990, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[15]  Jeanelle Sheeder,et al.  Magnetic resonance studies of intramuscular interferon β–1a for relapsing multiple sclerosis , 1998 .

[16]  Ponnada A. Narayana,et al.  Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in multiple sclerosis , 1990, Neurology.

[17]  D. Paty,et al.  Magnetic resonance techniques to monitor the long term evolution of multiple sclerosis pathology and to monitor definitive clinical trials. , 1998, Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry.

[18]  R I Grossman,et al.  Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis and multiple sclerosis: lesion characterization with magnetization transfer imaging. , 1992, Radiology.

[19]  G. Barker,et al.  Spinal cord atrophy and disability in MS , 1998, Neurology.

[20]  G. Barker,et al.  A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of interferon beta-1b in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis: Magnetic resonance imaging results , 1998 .

[21]  Nick C Fox,et al.  Visualisation and quantification of rates of atrophy in Alzheimer's disease , 1996, The Lancet.

[22]  D. Paty,et al.  Magnetic resonance in multiple sclerosis. , 1997, Current opinion in neurology and neurosurgery.

[23]  J. Prineas,et al.  The fine structure of chronically active multiple sclerosis plaques , 1978, Neurology.

[24]  F. Barkhof,et al.  Accumulation of hypointense lesions ("black holes") on T1 spin-echo MRI correlates with disease progression in multiple sclerosis , 1996, Neurology.

[25]  C. Thomsen,et al.  In vivo magnetic resonance diffusion measurement in the brain of patients with multiple sclerosis. , 1992, Magnetic resonance imaging.

[26]  P M Matthews,et al.  Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging for metabolic characterization of demyelinating plaques , 1992, Annals of neurology.

[27]  P M Matthews,et al.  Imaging axonal damage of normal-appearing white matter in multiple sclerosis. , 1998, Brain : a journal of neurology.

[28]  F. Barkhof,et al.  Hypointense multiple sclerosis lesions on T1-weighted spin echo magnetic resonance images: their contribution in understanding multiple sclerosis evolution. , 1998, Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry.

[29]  O. Andersen,et al.  Prognostic factors in a multiple sclerosis incidence cohort with twenty-five years of follow-up. , 1993, Brain : a journal of neurology.

[30]  A. Thompson,et al.  Persistent functional deficit in multiple sclerosis and autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia is associated with axon loss. , 1995, Brain : a journal of neurology.

[31]  F. Barkhof,et al.  Interscanner variation in brain MRI lesion load measurements in MS: Implications for clinical trials , 1997, Neurology.

[32]  G. Barker,et al.  Precision and reliability for measurement of change in MRI lesion volume in multiple sclerosis: a comparison of two computer assisted techniques , 1998, Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry.

[33]  A. Thompson,et al.  Spinal cord MRI using multi‐array coils and fast spin echo , 1993, Neurology.

[34]  R. Balaban,et al.  Magnetization transfer contrast (MTC) and tissue water proton relaxation in vivo , 1989, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[35]  A J Thompson,et al.  Clinical and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Predictors of Disability in Primary and Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis , 1996, Multiple sclerosis.

[36]  A. Thompson,et al.  Spinal cord atrophy and disability in multiple sclerosis. A new reproducible and sensitive MRI method with potential to monitor disease progression. , 1996, Brain : a journal of neurology.

[37]  G. Barker,et al.  Correlation of magnetization transfer ration with clinical disability in multiple sclerosis , 1994, Annals of neurology.

[38]  P. Matthews,et al.  Chemical pathology of acute demyelinating lesions and its correlation with disability , 1995, Annals of neurology.

[39]  Geoff J. M. Parker,et al.  1H Magnetic resonance spectroscopy of normal appearing white matter in primary progressive multiple sclerosis , 1999, Journal of Neurology.

[40]  P. Matthews,et al.  Use of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy for monitoring disease progression in multiple sclerosis , 1994, Annals of neurology.

[41]  V. Perry,et al.  Axonal damage in acute multiple sclerosis lesions. , 1997, Brain : a journal of neurology.

[42]  D. Miller.  Neurologic complications of petrosal sinus sampling. , 1992, Radiology.

[43]  R. Rudick,et al.  Axonal transection in the lesions of multiple sclerosis. , 1998, The New England journal of medicine.

[44]  M Rovaris,et al.  Relation between MR abnormalities and patterns of cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis , 1998, Neurology.