Contributions
Abstract: EP1554
Type: ePoster
Abstract Category: Pathology and pathogenesis of MS - 21 Imaging
Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating disease of the central nervous system involving both white and grey matter. Brain diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) enables in vivo, detection of pathological micro-structural changes that are not recognized in conventional MRI scans.
Aim: To identify brain areas with altered micro-structure that correlate with verbal memory impairment in relapsing remitting MS patients (RRMS).
Methods: A retrospective cross sectional study was conducted in 63 RRMS patients who completed:
1) Mindstream computerized cognitive evaluation tests (MCCT);
2) EDSS evaluation;
3) an MRI scan including diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).
All data were obtained within three months. Quantitative parameters as fractional anisotropy (FA) were derived from the DTI scans using in house developed Matlab software. Image processing and statistical analysis were based on voxel based analysis (VBA) using Statistical parametric mapping (SPM 8) and brain visualization performed with the xjView toolbox.
Results: 63 RRMS patients were included in the study {F/M 45/18; age 31years (21-46); disease duration 5.2±3.1 years; EDSS 2.0±1.7}. Six statistically significant clusters were identified (family wise error corrected for multiple comparisons, p< 0.005), in which FA correlated with verbal memory MCCT scores (96.8 ± 16.2). The clusters included: right hippocampus, right and left para-hippocampus, right and left cerebellum, right and left thalamus, right fusiform gyrus and right insula (xjView toolbox).
Conclusions: Lower FA values and micro-structural changes in specific brain areas were significantly correlated with a decline in verbal memory scores on MCCT. We describe specific changes in brain microstructure which cannot be seen in anatomical brain MRI. The VBA-DTI methodology could be used in cognitively affected MS patients, to identify changes in brain regions related to cognitive tasks.
Disclosure:
S. Miron: nothing to disclose
A. Abramovitz: nothing to disclose
O. levy: nothing to disclose
A. Achiron: nothing to disclose
Abstract: EP1554
Type: ePoster
Abstract Category: Pathology and pathogenesis of MS - 21 Imaging
Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating disease of the central nervous system involving both white and grey matter. Brain diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) enables in vivo, detection of pathological micro-structural changes that are not recognized in conventional MRI scans.
Aim: To identify brain areas with altered micro-structure that correlate with verbal memory impairment in relapsing remitting MS patients (RRMS).
Methods: A retrospective cross sectional study was conducted in 63 RRMS patients who completed:
1) Mindstream computerized cognitive evaluation tests (MCCT);
2) EDSS evaluation;
3) an MRI scan including diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).
All data were obtained within three months. Quantitative parameters as fractional anisotropy (FA) were derived from the DTI scans using in house developed Matlab software. Image processing and statistical analysis were based on voxel based analysis (VBA) using Statistical parametric mapping (SPM 8) and brain visualization performed with the xjView toolbox.
Results: 63 RRMS patients were included in the study {F/M 45/18; age 31years (21-46); disease duration 5.2±3.1 years; EDSS 2.0±1.7}. Six statistically significant clusters were identified (family wise error corrected for multiple comparisons, p< 0.005), in which FA correlated with verbal memory MCCT scores (96.8 ± 16.2). The clusters included: right hippocampus, right and left para-hippocampus, right and left cerebellum, right and left thalamus, right fusiform gyrus and right insula (xjView toolbox).
Conclusions: Lower FA values and micro-structural changes in specific brain areas were significantly correlated with a decline in verbal memory scores on MCCT. We describe specific changes in brain microstructure which cannot be seen in anatomical brain MRI. The VBA-DTI methodology could be used in cognitively affected MS patients, to identify changes in brain regions related to cognitive tasks.
Disclosure:
S. Miron: nothing to disclose
A. Abramovitz: nothing to disclose
O. levy: nothing to disclose
A. Achiron: nothing to disclose