CONTRIBUTIONS OF NEUROIMAGING TO DIAGNOSIS AND MONITORING OF MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS

Recent advances in magnetic resonance neuroimaging have resulted in an increased ability to distinguish acute, potentially reversible lesion s from chronic, irreversible lesions in multiple sclerosis. Refinement s of magnetic resonance imaging techniques, such as fluid-attenuated i nversion recovery, diffusion imaging, and magnetization transfer imagi ng, as well as magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging, are providing increased sensitivity and allowing detection of changes in multiple s clerosis white matter that appears normal on standard spin-echo magnet ic resonance images. Increased neuroimaging specificity and sensitivit y enhance the ability to diagnose, monitor, and understand the progres sion of multiple sclerosis. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy and magnet ic resonance spectroscopic imaging detect metabolites in vivo and have even greater potential for elucidating the biochemical pathology of d emyelination in multiple sclerosis.