Perfusion MRI

About

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, debilitating disease of the central nervous system characterized by
neuroinflammation, focal demyelination, gliosis, axonal degeneration, and neuronal loss. As
remyelination is both highly variable and associated with improvement of symptoms, therapies that
foster remyelination represent an opportunity for repair prior to irreversible damage and decline.
Whether perfusion MRI biomarkers can predict downstream myelin repair remains an outstanding question.

This study aims to overcome this challenge by investigating the role of perfusion in demyelination and remyelination using MRI biomarkers. The development of biomarker assays to quantitatively probe both perfusion and myelin content may:

• Predict regenerative potential and evaluate emerging therapies that promote neuroprotection and remyelination. 
• More reliably, and with greater biospecificity, assess regenerative potential and therapeutic response, thus filling a critical gap in both patient care and clinical trials. 
• Provide insight into the complex factors that contribute to both lesion formation and resolution.