Loss of corticospinal tract integrity in early MS disease stages.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

We investigated corticospinal tract (CST) integrity in the absence of white matter (WM) lesions using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in early MS disease stages.

Methods

Our study comprised 19 patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), 11 patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), and 32 age- and sex-matched healthy controls, for whom MRI measures of CST integrity (fractional anisotropy [FA], mean diffusivity [MD]), T1- and T2-based lesion load, and brain volumes were available. The mean (SD) disease duration was 3.5 (2.1) months, and disability score was low (median Expanded Disability Status Scale 1.5) at the time of the study.

Results

Patients with CIS and RRMS had significantly lower CST FA and higher CST MD values compared with controls. These f

SUBMITTER: Pawlitzki M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5614727 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature