Quantitative T1 mapping detects blood-brain barrier breakdown in apparently non-enhancing multiple sclerosis lesions.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

The disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a key and early feature in the pathogenesis of demyelinating multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions and has been neuropathologically demonstrated in both active and chronic plaques. The local overt BBB disruption in acute demyelinating lesions is captured as signal hyperintensity in post-contrast T1-weighted images because of the contrast-related shortening of the T1 relaxation time. On the contrary, the subtle BBB disruption in chronic lesions is not visible at conventional radiological evaluation but it might be of clinical relevance. Indeed, persistent, subtle BBB leakage might be linked to low-grade inflammation and plaque evolution. Here we hypothesised that 3D Quantitative Transient-state Imaging (QTI) was able to reveal

SUBMITTER: Donatelli G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10514220 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature