Beyond focal XXXX in @entity15 : An in vivo quantitative and spatial imaging study at 7T.

@entity1 @entity17 @entity75 @entity3780 @entity16 @entity15 @entity68
OBJECTIVES: Using quantitative T2* 7-tesla (7T) MRI as a marker of @entity17 and @entity68 loss, we investigated, in @entity1 with @entity3780 ( @entity3780 ) and secondary progressive @entity15 (SPMS), spatial and tissue intrinsic characteristics of @entity75 (s) (CL) types, and structural integrity of perilesional normal-appearing cortical gray matter (NACGM) as a function of distance from lesions. METHODS: @entity1 with @entity15 (18 @entity3780 , 11 SPMS), showing at least 2 CL, underwent 7T T2* imaging to obtain (1) magnitude images for segmenting focal @entity75 (s) (ICL) and @entity75 (s) (LCL), and (2) cortical T2* maps. Anatomical scans were collected at 3T for cortical surface reconstruction using FreeSurfer. Seventeen age-matched healthy @entity1 served as controls. RESULTS: ICL were predominantly located in sulci of frontal, parietal, and cingulate cortex; LCL distribution was more random. In @entity15 , T2* was higher in both ICL and LCL, indicating myelin and @entity68 loss, than in NACGM (p < 0.00003) irrespective of CL subtype and @entity15 phenotype. T2* was increased in perilesional cortex, tapering away from CL toward NACGM, the wider changes being for LCL in SPMS. NACGM T2* was higher in SPMS relative to @entity3780 (p = 0.006) and healthy cortex (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: CL had the same degree of @entity17 and @entity68 loss regardless of lesion subtype and disease stage. @entity16 expanded beyond visible CL, close to lesions in @entity3780 , and more diffusely in SPMS. Evaluation of NACGM integrity, beyond focal CL, could represent a surrogate marker of @entity15 progression.
