Pathophysiology of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Lesions Identified by Quantitative Ultra High Spatial Resolution (UHSR) MRI

Motivation: Remyelination is proposed as a strategy for neural repair in multiple sclerosis. Imaging biomarkers quantifying myelin are expected to play an important role for advancing remyelinating therapies. Goal(s): To assess quantitative T2* (QT2*) as an indicator of myelin density. Approach: MRI of a fixed MS brain hemisphere was used to identify lesions in gray and white matter. The lesions were subsequently analyzed with histology. Results: Significant correlations between QT2* and myelin histology were observed within and among lesions. Impact: Histology provides information on pathophysiology in exquisite detail but cannot be performed on the whole brain. This study demonstrates how quantitative UHSR can direct histology while evaluating potential imaging biomarkers for myelin density.