HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Guo, A. C. Articles by Provenzale, J. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Guo, A. C. Articles by Provenzale, J. M.

Multiple Sclerosis: Diffusion Tensor MR Imaging for Evaluation of Normal-appearing White Matter¹

¹ From the Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Box 3808, Rm 1533, Erwin Rd, Durham, NC 27710-3808. Received January 12, 2001; revision requested March 5; final revision received August 30; accepted September 20. Address correspondence to J.M.P. (e-mail: prove001@mc.duke.edu).

PURPOSE: To determine whether the normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) regions surrounding and remote from multiple sclerosis (MS) plaques have abnormal diffusional anisotropy and to compare anisotropy maps with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps for sensitivity in the detection of white matter (WM) abnormalities.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Conventional and diffusion tensor magnetic resonance (MR) imaging examinations were performed in 26 patients with MS and in 26 age-matched control subjects. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and ADC maps were generated and coregistered with T2-weighted MR images. Uniform regions of interest were placed on plaques, periplaque white matter (PWM) regions, NAWM regions in the contralateral side of the brain, and WM regions in control subjects to obtain FA and ADC values, which were compared across the WM regions.

RESULTS: The mean FA was 0.280 for plaques, 0.383 for PWM, 0.493 for NAWM, and 0.537 for control subject WM. The mean ADC was 1.025 x 10^-3 mm²/sec for plaques, 0.786 x 10^-3 mm²/sec for PWM, 0.739 x 10^-3 mm²/sec for NAWM, and 0.726 x 10^-3 mm²/sec for control subject WM. Significant differences in anisotropy and ADC values were observed among all WM regions (P < .001 for all comparisons, except ADC in NAWM vs control subject WM [P = .018]).

CONCLUSION: The anisotropy and ADC values were abnormal in all WM regions in the patients with MS and were worse in the periplaque regions than in the distant regions. Diffusion tensor MR imaging may be more accurate than T2-weighted MR imaging for assessment of disease burden.

© RSNA, 2002

Index terms: Brain, diseases, 10.871 • Brain, MR, 10.121411, 10.121416, 10.12144 • Diffusion tensor • Magnetic resonance (MR), diffusion study, 10.121411, 10.121413, 10.121416, 10.12144 • Sclerosis, multiple, 10.871

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. A. Dineen, J. Vilisaar, J. Hlinka, C. M. Bradshaw, P. S. Morgan, C. S. Constantinescu, and D. P. Auer Disconnection as a mechanism for cognitive dysfunction in multiple sclerosis Brain, October 25, 2008; (2008) awn275v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Welzel, A. Niethammer, U. Mende, S. Heiland, F. Wenz, J. Debus, and R. Krempien Diffusion Tensor Imaging Screening of Radiation-Induced Changes in the White Matter after Prophylactic Cranial Irradiation of Patients with Small Cell Lung Cancer: First Results of a Prospective Study AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., February 1, 2008; 29(2): 379 - 383. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Ito, H. Watanabe, Y. Kawai, N. Atsuta, F. Tanaka, S. Naganawa, H. Fukatsu, and G. Sobue Usefulness of combined fractional anisotropy and apparent diffusion coefficient values for detection of involvement in multiple system atrophy J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, July 1, 2007; 78(7): 722 - 728. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Oouchi, K. Yamada, K. Sakai, O. Kizu, T. Kubota, H. Ito, and T. Nishimura Diffusion Anisotropy Measurement of Brain White Matter Is Affected by Voxel Size: Underestimation Occurs in Areas with Crossing Fibers AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., June 1, 2007; 28(6): 1102 - 1106. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A.M. Saindane, M. Law, Y. Ge, G. Johnson, J.S. Babb, and R.I. Grossman Correlation of Diffusion Tensor and Dynamic Perfusion MR Imaging Metrics in Normal-Appearing Corpus Callosum: Support for Primary Hypoperfusion in Multiple Sclerosis AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., April 1, 2007; 28(4): 767 - 772. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F.G. Garaci, V. Colangelo, A. Ludovici, F. Gaudiello, S. Marziali, D. Centonze, L. Boffa, G. Simonetti, and R. Floris A Diffusion Longitudinal MR Imaging Study in Normal-Appearing White Matter in Untreated Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., March 1, 2007; 28(3): 475 - 478. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Ni, V. Kavcic, T. Zhu, S. Ekholm, and J. Zhong Effects of number of diffusion gradient directions on derived diffusion tensor imaging indices in human brain. AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., September 1, 2006; 27(8): 1776 - 1781. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y. Ge Multiple Sclerosis: The Role of MR Imaging AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., June 1, 2006; 27(6): 1165 - 1176. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A Pena, H A L Green, T A Carpenter, S J Price, J D Pickard, and J H Gillard Enhanced visualization and quantification of magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging using the p:q tensor decomposition Br. J. Radiol., February 1, 2006; 79(938): 101 - 109. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Rovaris, A. Gass, R. Bammer, S. J. Hickman, O. Ciccarelli, D. H. Miller, and M. Filippi Diffusion MRI in multiple sclerosis Neurology, November 22, 2005; 65(10): 1526 - 1532. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Kitahara, S. Nakasu, K. Murata, K. Sho, and R. Ito Evaluation of Treatment-Induced Cerebral White Matter Injury by Using Diffusion-Tensor MR Imaging: Initial Experience AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., October 1, 2005; 26(9): 2200 - 2206. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. J. Lisanti, P. Asbach, and W. G. Bradley Jr. The Ependymal "Dot-Dash" Sign: An MR Imaging Finding of Early Multiple Sclerosis AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., September 1, 2005; 26(8): 2033 - 2036. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. M. Kealey, Y. Kim, W. L. Whiting, D. J. Madden, and J. M. Provenzale Determination of Multiple Sclerosis Plaque Size with Diffusion-Tensor MR Imaging: Comparison Study with Healthy Volunteers Radiology, August 1, 2005; 236(2): 615 - 620. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Oreja-Guevara, M. Rovaris, G. Iannucci, P. Valsasina, D. Caputo, R. Cavarretta, M. P. Sormani, P. Ferrante, G. Comi, and M. Filippi Progressive Gray Matter Damage in Patients With Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: A Longitudinal Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study Arch Neurol, April 1, 2005; 62(4): 578 - 584. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A Castriota-Scanderbeg, F Fasano, M Filippi, and C Caltagirone T1 relaxation maps allow differentiation between pathologic tissue subsets in relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis Multiple Sclerosis, October 1, 2004; 10(5): 556 - 561. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. M. Kealey, Y. Kim, and J. M. Provenzale Redefinition of Multiple Sclerosis Plaque Size Using Diffusion Tensor MRI Am. J. Roentgenol., August 1, 2004; 183(2): 497 - 503. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. M. Provenzale, P. McGraw, P. Mhatre, A. C. Guo, and D. Delong Peritumoral Brain Regions in Gliomas and Meningiomas: Investigation with Isotropic Diffusion-weighted MR Imaging and Diffusion-Tensor MR Imaging Radiology, August 1, 2004; 232(2): 451 - 460. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A Traboulsee, J Dehmeshki, K. R Peters, C M Griffin, P A Brex, N Silver, O Ciccarrelli, D T Chard, G J Barker, A J Thompson, et al. Disability in multiple sclerosis is related to normal appearing brain tissue MTR histogram abnormalities Multiple Sclerosis, December 1, 2003; 9(6): 566 - 573. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. C.-Y. Chen, H.-W. Chung, and M. Liou Measurement of Volumetric Lesion Load in Multiple Sclerosis: Moving from Normal- to Dirty-Appearing White Matter AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., November 1, 2003; 24(10): 1929 - 1930. [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y. Arzoumanian, M. Mirmiran, P.D. Barnes, K. Woolley, R.L. Ariagno, M.E. Moseley, B.E. Fleisher, and S.W. Atlas Diffusion Tensor Brain Imaging Findings At Term-equivalent Age May Predict Neurologic Abnormalities in Low Birth Weight Preterm Infants AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., September 1, 2003; 24(8): 1646 - 1653. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Castriota-Scanderbeg, F. Fasano, G. Hagberg, U. Nocentini, M. Filippi, and C. Caltagirone Coefficient Dav Is More Sensitive Than Fractional Anisotropy in Monitoring Progression of Irreversible Tissue Damage in Focal Nonactive Multiple Sclerosis Lesions AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., April 1, 2003; 24(4): 663 - 670. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P.-L. Khong, D. L. W. Kwong, G. C. F. Chan, J. S. T. Sham, F.-L. Chan, and G.-C. Ooi Diffusion-Tensor Imaging for the Detection and Quantification of Treatment-Induced White Matter Injury in Children with Medulloblastoma: A Pilot Study AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., April 1, 2003; 24(4): 734 - 740. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]