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A comparison between magnetization transfer ratios and myelin water percentages in normals and multiple sclerosis patients
Author(s) -
Vavasour Irene M.,
Whittall Kenneth P.,
Mackay Alex L.,
Li David K. B.,
Vorobeychik Galina,
Paty Donald W.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
magnetic resonance in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.696
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1522-2594
pISSN - 0740-3194
DOI - 10.1002/mrm.1910400518
Subject(s) - magnetization transfer , white matter , multiple sclerosis , myelin , magnetization , nuclear magnetic resonance , uncorrelated , grey matter , chemistry , magnetic resonance imaging , nuclear medicine , pathology , medicine , physics , central nervous system , radiology , mathematics , magnetic field , statistics , quantum mechanics , psychiatry
Magnetization transfer and T 2 relaxation data were obtained for five white and six gray matter brain structures from 10 normal volunteers and 9 multiple sclerosis patients. Thirty MS lesions were also anatyzed. Magnetization transfer ratios and myelin water percentages were compared. Both techniques showed a significant difference between the average of white and gray matter of the normal volunteers as well as the average of nor mal‐appearing white matter and gray matter of the multiple sclerosis patients. The average magnetization transfer ratio and myelin water percentage for lesions were significantly lower than those of normal‐appearing white matter. Myelin water per centages and magnetization transfer ratios were uncorrelated in white and gray matter but showed a small ( R = 0.5, P = 0.005) but significant correlation in multiple sclerosis lesions. In sum mary, the myelin water percentage and the magnetization trans fer ratio provide quantifiable but largely independent measures of multiple sclerosis lesion pathology.