MRI lesion volume heterogeneity in primary progressive MS in relation with axonal damage and brain atrophy

Abstract

Methods: 34 PP MS patients were divided into two categories: low (<3 cm³, n = 18) or high (&ge;3 cm³, n = 16) T2 lesion load (LL). An Index of Brain Atrophy (IBA) was calculated and HMRS metabolite ratios were derived from a central brain area centred at the corpus callosum.

Results: Patient groups did not differ with regard to clinical characteristics and showed lower mean IBA and mean N-acetylaspartate:creatinine (NAA:Cr) ratios compared to healthy controls.

Conclusion: PP patients with low and high brain T2LL have detectable brain atrophy and NAA:Cr reduction compared to healthy controls. In PP MS, T2 lesions alone are insufficient to explain the presence of brain atrophy and decrease in NAA:Cr.

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