A DGReview of :"MRI
techniques and cognitive impairment in the early phase of relapsing-remitting
multiple sclerosis"
Neuroradiology
04/26/2001
By Robert Short
There is a direct association with the extent and severity of diffuse brain damage in patients in the early stages of multiple sclerosis (MS) and cognitive decline, low disability score, and short duration of disease. However, the loss of brain parenchyma does not correlate with the severity of microscopic damage in the normal-appearing brain tissue, indicating that the two processes could be distinct in the early stages of the disease.
These were the findings of a study to assess whether there is a correlation between MRI parameters and cognitive impairment in the early stages of MS. Said Dr. R Zivadinov, "Our aim was to explore whether this cognitive impairment is dependent on the extent and severity of the burden of disease, diffuse microscopic brain damage or both." Dr Zivadinov is based at the neurological clinic, Cattinara Hospital, Trieste, Italy. They studied 63 patients.
No significant difference
was found between lesion loads in patients with and without cognitive impairment.
In 23.8 percent of patients who had overall cognitive impairment, the median
brain parenchymal fraction and average normal-appearing brain tissue magnetisation
transfer ratio were significantly lower than in patients without cognitive
impairment. The only variables independently correlated with cognitive
impairment were brain parenchymal fraction and average normal-appearing
brain tissue magnetisation transfer ratio.
Neuroradiology 2001; 43(4): 272-278. "MRI techniques and cognitive impairment in the early phase of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis"