Figure 6. Scatterplot shows relationship between T2 relaxation time and state of myelination (as percentage of residual myelin density in an ROI) in cervical spinal cord specimens (
= 0.77, P < .001). Data points are labeled according to tissue classification on intermediate-weighted MR images: HISIL = high-signal-intensity lesions (in MS specimens), IMSIL = intermediate-signal-intensity lesions (in MS specimens), and WM = white matter (in control specimens). (NAWM was classified only for MS specimens.) For correlation coefficient analysis, control specimen data (ie, those for white matter) were excluded. The relationships between myelin density and both T1 relaxation time and MTR showed similar trends, although the correlation coefficients were less strong.