TABLE 2.
Differences in diffusion MRI measures between multiple sclerosis patients and healthy controls.
| Bundle | Groups | FAt (Mean ± SD) | RDt (Mean ± SD) | MDt (Mean ± SD) | Free water fraction (Mean ± SD) | AFDtot (Mean ± SD) | NuFO (Mean ± SD) |
| Anterior CC | RRMS | 0.640 ± 0.017* | 46 × 10–5 ± 2.2 × 10–5* | 81 × 10–5 ± 1.5 × 10–5* | 0.056 ± 0.017 | 0.307 ± 0.019* | 1.152 ± 0.131* |
| HC | 0.665 ± 0.023 | 43 × 10–5 ± 2.8 × 10–5 | 78 × 10–5 ± 1.9 × 10–5 | 0.049 ± 0.007 | 0.289 ± 0.011 | 1.044 ± 0.061 | |
| Posterior CC | RRMS | 0.685 ± 0.017* | 40 × 10–5 ± 2.1 × 10–5* | 77 × 10–5 ± 1.4 × 10–5* | 0.070 ± 0.017 | 0.341 ± 0.015 | 1.246 ± 0.090 |
| HC | 0.703 ± 0.014 | 38 × 10–5 ± 1.7 × 10–5 | 75 × 10–5 ± 1.2 × 10–5 | 0.055 ± 0.010 | 0.327 ± 0.011 | 1.206 ± 0.076 | |
| Right cingulum | RRMS | 0.637 ± 0.025* | 46 × 10–5 ± 3.1 × 10–5* | 81 × 10–5 ± 2.0 × 10–5* | 0.028 ± 0.006 | 0.299 ± 0.014 | 1.204 ± 0.136 |
| HC | 0.679 ± 0.017 | 41 × 10–5 ± 2.1 × 10–5 | 77 × 10–5 ± 1.4 × 10–5 | 0.023 ± 0.007 | 0.292 ± 0.008 | 1.450 ± 0.069 | |
| Left cingulum | RRMS | 0.667 ± 0.022 | 43 × 10–5 ± 2.7 × 10–5 | 78 × 10–5 ± 1.8 × 10–5 | 0.041 ± 0.009 | 0.298 ± 0.014* | 1.183 ± 0.117 |
| HC | 0.684 ± 0.019 | 40 × 10–5 ± 2.4 × 10–5 | 77 × 10–5 ± 1.6 × 10–5 | 0.032 ± 0.009 | 0.284 ± 0.010 | 1.111 ± 0.076 | |
| Right fornix | RRMS | 0.709 ± 0.020 | 35 × 10–5 ± 2.7 × 10–5 | 73 × 10–5 ± 2.0 × 10–5 | 0.482 ± 0.066* | 0.272 ± 0.026 | 1.067 ± 0.101 |
| HC | 0.705 ± 0.018 | 36 × 10–5 ± 2.6 × 10–5 | 74 × 10–5 ± 1.9 × 10–5 | 0.415 ± 0.046 | 0.274 ± 0.014 | 1.014 ± 0.104 | |
| Left fornix | RRMS | 0.698 ± 0.027 | 37 × 10–5 ± 4.0 × 10–5 | 74 × 10–5 ± 3.0 × 10–5 | 0.465 ± 0.091* | 0.264 ± 0.028 | 1.019 ± 0.099 |
| HC | 0.696 ± 0.020 | 38 × 10–5 ± 2.6 × 10–5 | 75 × 10–5 ± 1.8 × 10–5 | 0.384 ± 0.034 | 0.269 ± 0.012 | 0.982 ± 0.104 | |
| Right IFOF | RRMS | 0.608 ± 0.021* | 50 × 10–5 ± 2.5 × 10–5* | 83 × 10–5 ± 1.7 × 10–5* | 0.065 ± 0.018 | 0.309 ± 0.011 | 1.176 ± 0.112* |
| HC | 0.642 ± 0.017 | 45 × 10–5 ± 2.1 × 10–5 | 80 × 10–5 ± 1.4 × 10–5 | 0.052 ± 0.011 | 0.297 ± 0.016 | 1.094 ± 0.059 | |
| Left IFOF | RRMS | 0.606 ± 0.020* | 50 × 10–5 ± 2.5 × 10–5* | 83 × 10–5 ± 1.7 × 10–5* | 0.059 ± 0.011* | 0.307 ± 0.013* | 1.178 ± 0.113* |
| HC | 0.645 ± 0.021 | 45 × 10–5 ± 2.5 × 10–5 | 80 × 10–5 ± 1.7 × 10–5 | 0.048 ± 0.010 | 0.291 ± 0.014 | 1.075 ± 0.060 | |
| Right ILF | RRMS | 0.599 ± 0.019* | 51 × 10–5 ± 2.4 × 10–5* | 84 × 10–5 ± 1.6 × 10–5* | 0.061 ± 0.019 | 0.305 ± 0.011* | 1.205 ± 0.134 |
| HC | 0.630 ± 0.018 | 47 × 10–5 ± 2.3 × 10–5 | 81 × 10–5 ± 1.5 × 10–5 | 0.049 ± 0.010 | 0.291 ± 0.015 | 1.090 ± 0.084 | |
| Left ILF | RRMS | 0.597 ± 0.018* | 51 × 10–5 ± 2.3 × 10–5* | 84 × 10–5 ± 1.5 × 10–5* | 0.059 ± 0.014 | 0.305 ± 0.011* | 1.211 ± 0.147 |
| HC | 0.630 ± 0.019 | 47 × 10–5 ± 2.4 × 10–5 | 81 × 10–5 ± 1.6 × 10–5 | 0.047 ± 0.010 | 0.287 ± 0.016 | 1.085 ± 0.087 | |
| Right SLF | RRMS | 0.607 ± 0.024* | 50 × 10–5 ± 2.9 × 10–5* | 83 × 10–5 ± 1.9 × 10–5* | 0.010 ± 0.005 | 0.323 ± 0.014 | 1.433 ± 0.173 |
| HC | 0.637 ± 0.023 | 46 × 10–5 ± 2.8 × 10–5 | 81 × 10–5 ± 1.9 × 10–5 | 0.008 ± 0.003 | 0.313 ± 0.012 | 1.356 ± 0.111 | |
| Left SLF | RRMS | 0.597 ± 0.021* | 51 × 10–5 ± 2.6 × 10–5* | 84 × 10–5 ± 1.7 × 10–5* | 0.011 ± 0.006 | 0.331 ± 0.015* | 1.471 ± 0.167 |
| HC | 0.620 ± 0.015 | 48 × 10–5 ± 1.9 × 10–5 | 82 × 10–5 ± 1.3 × 10–5 | 0.008 ± 0.003 | 0.316 ± 0.012 | 1.378 ± 0.134 | |
| Right UF | RRMS | 0.554 ± 0.023* | 56 × 10–5 ± 2.9 × 10–5* | 88 × 10–5 ± 1.9 × 10–5* | 0.030 ± 0.017 | 0.287 ± 0.010* | 1.090 ± 0.166 |
| HC | 0.580 ± 0.028 | 53 × 10–5 ± 3.5 × 10–5 | 85 × 10–5 ± 2.3 × 10–5 | 0.023 ± 0.007 | 0.273 ± 0.016 | 0.949 ± 0.111 | |
| Left UF | RRMS | 0.543 ± 0.020* | 58 × 10–5 ± 2.5 × 10–5* | 89 × 10–5 ± 1.7 × 10–5* | 0.029 ± 0.018 | 0.286 ± 0.014* | 1.107 ± 0.176* |
| HC | 0.569 ± 0.024 | 54 × 10–5 ± 2.9 × 10–5 | 86 × 10–5 ± 2.0 × 10–5 | 0.019 ± 0.006 | 0.271 ± 0.012 | 0.954 ± 0.095 |
AFDtot, total apparent fiber density; CC, corpus callosum; FAt, tissue fractional anisotropy; HC, healthy controls; IFOF, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus; ILF, inferior longitudinal fasciculus; MDt (mm/s2), tissue mean diffusivity; NuFO, number of fiber orientation; RDt (mm/s2), tissue radial diffusivity; RRMS, relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis; SD, standard deviation; SLF, superior longitudinal fasciculus; UF, uncinated fasciculus.
*statistically significant difference (p < 0.01).