Magnetization Transfer Ratio Shows Selective Spinal Tracts Damage in Patients with Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy

Motivation: Quantitative spinal cord imaging is essentially helpful in various pathological conditions, such as degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM). However, the role of myelin-sensitive techniques in DCM seems to be underestimated. Goal(s): Assess demyelination within different spinal tracts in patients with DCM. Approach: Spinal cord 3T MRI with magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) technique was performed with subsequent post-processing in Spinal Cord Toolbox (v5.5). Results: We revealed structural impairment of the spinocerebellar, rubrospinal, and reticulospinal tracts, as well as fasciculus cuneatus, in patients with DCM compared to the control group. The associations between JOA score and MTR values within spinal cord white matter were also found. Impact: Our results could help to better understand the pathophysiology of DCM. Further studies in this field could be dedicated toassociations of MTR values with surgical recovery, links with supraspinal structural changes, or comparisons with other quantitative techniques.