FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING IN MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a method that combines high anatomical spatial resolution with the ability to localise funct ion. Visual and motor systems are among those that have received most attention. Yet the clinical application is still limited. Recently, so me investigators applied fmRI to study patients with multiple sclerosi s. Patients with partial motor weakness disclosed a larger area of cor tical activation bilaterally by contrast with healthy volunteers when using the affected arm, whereas patients with optical neuritis disclos ed a smaller area of activation, when stimulating the affected eye. Th ese results show that different systems might react heterogeneously.