Laminar analysis of the cerebellar cortex shows widespread damage in early MS patients: A pilot study at 7T MRI.
- Galbusera R Neurologic Clinic and Policlinic, Departments of Medicine, Clinical Research and Biomedical Engineering, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
- Parmar K Neurologic Clinic and Policlinic, Departments of Medicine, Clinical Research and Biomedical Engineering, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
- Boillat Y Laboratory for Functional and Metabolic Imaging, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Fartaria MJ Advanced Clinical Imaging Technology, Siemens Healthcare AG (HC CMEA SUI DI BM PI), Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Todea AR Translational Imaging in Neurology (ThINk) Basel, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
- Brien KO Siemens Healthcare Pty Ltd., Bowen Hills, Australia; Centre for Advanced Imaging, University of Queensland, Australia.
- Smolinski A Translational Imaging in Neurology (ThINk) Basel, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
- Kappos L Neurologic Clinic and Policlinic, Departments of Medicine, Clinical Research and Biomedical Engineering, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
- van der Zwaag W Spinoza Centre for Neuroimaging, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
- Granziera C Neurologic Clinic and Policlinic, Departments of Medicine, Clinical Research and Biomedical Engineering, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
- 2020-11-05
Published in:
- Multiple sclerosis journal - experimental, translational and clinical. - 2020
English
Background
To date, little is known about the presence and extent of cerebellar cortical pathology in early stages of MS.
Objective
The aims of this study were to (i) investigate microstructural changes in the normal-appearing cerebellar cortex of early MS patients by using 7 T MRI and (ii) evaluate the influence of those changes on clinical performance.
Methods
Eighteen RRMS patients and nine healthy controls underwent quantitative T1 and T2* measurement at 7 T MRI using high-resolution MP2RAGE and multi-echo gradient-echo imaging. After subtracting lesion masks, average T1 and T2* maps were computed for three layers in the cerebellar cortex and compared between groups using mixed effects models.
Results
The volume of the cerebellar cortex and its layers did not differ between patients and controls. In MS patients, significantly longer T1 values were observed in all vermis cortical layers and in the middle and external cortical layer of the cerebellar hemispheres. No between-group differences in T2* values were found. T1 values correlated with EDSS, SDMT and PASAT.
Conclusions
We found MRI evidence of damage in the normal-appearing cerebellar cortex at early MS stages and before volumetric changes. This microstructural alteration appears to be related to EDSS and cognitive performance.
To date, little is known about the presence and extent of cerebellar cortical pathology in early stages of MS.
Objective
The aims of this study were to (i) investigate microstructural changes in the normal-appearing cerebellar cortex of early MS patients by using 7 T MRI and (ii) evaluate the influence of those changes on clinical performance.
Methods
Eighteen RRMS patients and nine healthy controls underwent quantitative T1 and T2* measurement at 7 T MRI using high-resolution MP2RAGE and multi-echo gradient-echo imaging. After subtracting lesion masks, average T1 and T2* maps were computed for three layers in the cerebellar cortex and compared between groups using mixed effects models.
Results
The volume of the cerebellar cortex and its layers did not differ between patients and controls. In MS patients, significantly longer T1 values were observed in all vermis cortical layers and in the middle and external cortical layer of the cerebellar hemispheres. No between-group differences in T2* values were found. T1 values correlated with EDSS, SDMT and PASAT.
Conclusions
We found MRI evidence of damage in the normal-appearing cerebellar cortex at early MS stages and before volumetric changes. This microstructural alteration appears to be related to EDSS and cognitive performance.
- Language
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- English
- Open access status
- gold
- Identifiers
-
- DOI 10.1177/2055217320961409
- PMID 33149930
- Persistent URL
- https://sonar.rero.ch/global/documents/92491
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