Electronic Posters: Neuroimaging - ismrm

Wednesday 13:30-15:30 Computer 77
13:30 4334. Transversal and Longitudinal Voxelwise Whole Brain Evaluation in the Earliest
Stages of Multiple Sclerosis
Eytan Raz 1 , Mara Cercignani 2 , Emilia Sbardella 1 , Porzia Totaro 1 , Carlo Pozzilli 1 , Marco
Bozzali 2 , Patrizia Pantano 1
1 Department of Neurological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; 2 Neuroimaging Laboratory,
Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
In patients with multiple sclerosis, the relationship between white matter and gray matter damage evolution is not fully understood; we
aimed at longitudinally (one-year interval) evaluating the white matter and gray matter damage in the same coohort of clinically
isolated syndrome patients recruited at onset. While white matter damage is detectable early and widely involves most tracts, no white
matter changes over one year follow-up period are noted; conversely, a significant decrease in cortical and deep gray matter volume is
observed at 1 year follow-up evaluation.
14:00 4335. Relationship Between Structural Brain Damage and Functional Cortical
Reorganisation in Patients with Benign Multiple Sclerosis
Antonio Giorgio 1 , Emilio Portaccio 2 , Maria Laura Stromillo 3 , Silvia Marino 3 , Valentina
Zipoli 2 , Gianfranco Siracusa 2 , Marco Battaglini 3 , Maria Letizia Bartolozzi 4 , Anita
Blandino 3 , Leonello Guidi 4 , Sandro Sorbi 2 , Antonio Federico 3 , Maria Pia Amato 2 , Nicola
De Stefano 3
1 Neurology and Neurometabolic Unit, Dept. of Neurological and Behavioral Sciences, Siena University , Siena,
Italy; 2 Dept. of Neurology, University of Florence, Italy; 3 Neurology and Neurometabolic Unit, Dept. of
Neurological and Behavioral Sciences, Siena University, Siena, Italy; 4 Neurology Unit, Hospital of Empoli,
Italy
It is not currently known whether the favorable clinical status present several years after disease onset in Benign Multiple Sclerosis
(B-MS) might be due to the presence of a more efficient functional cortical reorganisation. In 25 right-handed patients with B-MS,
different bilateral brain areas, not only those devoted to motor tasks, were recruited during a simple motor task. This widespread
functional cortical reorganisation appeared directly related to the integrity of normal appearing brain tissues and inversely associated
with focal WM pathology and progressive brain volume loss.
14:30 4336. Patterns of Regional Gray Matter Atrophy and Cognitive Impairment in Multiple
Sclerosis Patients with Different Disease Phenotypes
Gianna Riccitelli 1 , Maria A. Rocca 1 , Cristina Forn 1 , Andrea Falini 2 , Elisabetta Pagani 1 ,
Mariaemma Rodegher 3 , Monica Falautano 3 , Paolo Rossi 3 , Giancarlo Comi 3 , Massimo
Filippi 1
1 Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, Scientific
Institute and University Hospital San Raffaele, Milan, Italy; 2 Department of Neuroradiology, Scientific Institute
and University Hospital San Raffaele, Milan, Italy; 3 Department of Neurology, Scientific Institute and
University Hospital San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
Using voxel-based morphometry, we found distinct patterns of regional distribution of GM damage associated with cognitive
impairment (CI) in MS patients with different clinical phenotypes. CI relapsing-remitting MS patients had GM volume loss in the
deep GM nuclei and in several regions in the frontal, parietal and temporal lobes. CI secondary progressive MS patients had GM
volume loss in regions of the fronto-temporal lobes, and the hippocampus. CI primary progressive MS patients showed GM volume
loss in the cingulum, superior temporal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus and cerebellum. GM loss in CI MS patients was only partially
correlated with T2-visible lesions.
15:00 4337. Variation in Signal Surrounding White Matter Lesions in Primary Progressive
Multiple Sclerosis
Daniel J. Tozer 1 , Abdulgabbar Hamid 1 , Declan T. Chard 1 , David H. Miller 1 , Alan J.
Thompson 2
1 NMR Unit, Department of Neuroinflammation, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom; 2 Brain
Repair and Rehabilitation, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
It is known that the normal appearing tissue of subjects with multiple sclerosis is abnormal, but not whether this is linked to focal
white matter (WM) lesions or more widespread. This work investigates the tissue surrounding lesions for a variety of MRI parameters
and compares them to the lesion and distant WM. Up to 9 pixel thick layers were extracted for MTR, T1 and T2 maps. It was found
that much of this tissue is different to WM and the lesion. Hypointense and isointense lesions (on T1 weighted images) also behaved
differently suggesting different pathological processes occurring at different times.