Neurology
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Neurology 2000;54:1421-1427
© 2000 American Academy of Neurology
Articles

Whole-brain diffusion MR histograms differ between MS subtypes

A. O. Nusbaum, MD, C. Y. Tang, PhD, T.-C. Wei, BS, Monte S. Buchsbaum, MD and Scott W. Atlas, MD

From the Departments of Radiology (Drs. Nusbaum and Atlas, and C. Tang) and Psychiatry (C. Tang, T.-C. Wei, and M. Buchsbaum), Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY; and the Department of Radiology (Dr. Atlas), Stanford University Medical Center, CA.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Scott W. Atlas, Department of Radiology, Stanford University Medical Center, S-047, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA 94305-5105; e-mail: swatlas{at}stanford.edu

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether quantitative whole-brain MR diffusion histograms in patients with MS differ from those of normal control subjects.

BACKGROUND: MRI detects macroscopic cerebral lesions in MS, but the white matter lesion burden on MRI correlates imperfectly to clinical disability. Previous reports have further suggested abnormalities in white matter of MS patients with no visible lesions on conventional MRI.

METHODS: A total of 25 subjects (13 with MS [9 relapsing–remitting, 4 secondary progressive] and 12 healthy control subjects) underwent diffusion-weighted echoplanar MRI encompassing the entire brain. The average apparent diffusion coefficient (ADCave, or diffusion trace) was calculated on a pixel-by-pixel basis after segmentation of intracranial space from calvarium and extracranial soft tissues. Whole-brain ADCave histograms were calculated and plotted for statistical comparison.

RESULTS: Mean whole-brain MR ADCave in MS patients was elevated and histograms were shifted to higher values compared with normal control subjects. Mean whole-brain ADCave of secondary progressive patients was shifted to higher values compared with relapsing–remitting patients. Whole-brain ADCave histograms of relapsing–remitting patients showed no significant difference from normal control subjects.

CONCLUSION: Whole-brain MR diffusion histograms may quantitate overall cerebral lesion load in patients with MS and may be able to discern differences between clinical subgroups.

Key words: MS—Brain MR—Diffusion MR






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