Contributions
Abstract: 242
Type: Oral
The increased availability of 7.0 Tesla magnets has prompted research aimed at investigating disease mechanisms in the brain and spinal cord of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The main advantages of ultra-high-field MRI are the improved signal-to-noise ratio, greater chemical shift dispersion, and improved contrast due to increased magnetic susceptibility which lead to enhanced sensitivity to the heterogeneous pathological substrates of the disease. Indeed, at higher fields, the effects of small variations in tissue susceptibility allow for small venous structures and iron deposits, around lesions and in normal-appearing brain tissue to be better visualized than at lower magnetic fields. Another promising research application at ultra-high field is MR spectroscopy of brain metabolites with low concentrations (1-5 mM) that make their detection very challenging at lower field strength. Furthermore, imaging of nuclei other than protons such as sodium (23Na), phosphorus (31P) etc is also highly desirable at ultra-high field due to the lower sensitivity
At present, ultra-high-field MRI is mainly used to improve our understanding of MS pathogenesis. The main achievements from the use of these scanners will be discussed: better visualization of white matter lesions and their morphological characteristics; an improvement in the ability to detect gray matter lesions; the quantification of metabolites which may have a role in axonal degeneration and greater sensitivity to iron accumulation. The application of ultra-high-field systems in standard diagnostic work-up of patients with clinically isolated syndromes, or in monitoring disease progression or treatment response in patients with definite MS has yet to be established. Additional challenges remain in the development of morphological, quantitative and functional imaging methods at these field strengths, techniques which may ultimately lead to novel biomarkers for monitoring disease evolution and treatment response.
Disclosure: Dr. Inglese has received research grants from NIH, NMSS, DOD, Novartis Pharmaceuticals and Teva Neuroscience
Abstract: 242
Type: Oral
The increased availability of 7.0 Tesla magnets has prompted research aimed at investigating disease mechanisms in the brain and spinal cord of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The main advantages of ultra-high-field MRI are the improved signal-to-noise ratio, greater chemical shift dispersion, and improved contrast due to increased magnetic susceptibility which lead to enhanced sensitivity to the heterogeneous pathological substrates of the disease. Indeed, at higher fields, the effects of small variations in tissue susceptibility allow for small venous structures and iron deposits, around lesions and in normal-appearing brain tissue to be better visualized than at lower magnetic fields. Another promising research application at ultra-high field is MR spectroscopy of brain metabolites with low concentrations (1-5 mM) that make their detection very challenging at lower field strength. Furthermore, imaging of nuclei other than protons such as sodium (23Na), phosphorus (31P) etc is also highly desirable at ultra-high field due to the lower sensitivity
At present, ultra-high-field MRI is mainly used to improve our understanding of MS pathogenesis. The main achievements from the use of these scanners will be discussed: better visualization of white matter lesions and their morphological characteristics; an improvement in the ability to detect gray matter lesions; the quantification of metabolites which may have a role in axonal degeneration and greater sensitivity to iron accumulation. The application of ultra-high-field systems in standard diagnostic work-up of patients with clinically isolated syndromes, or in monitoring disease progression or treatment response in patients with definite MS has yet to be established. Additional challenges remain in the development of morphological, quantitative and functional imaging methods at these field strengths, techniques which may ultimately lead to novel biomarkers for monitoring disease evolution and treatment response.
Disclosure: Dr. Inglese has received research grants from NIH, NMSS, DOD, Novartis Pharmaceuticals and Teva Neuroscience