MPRAGE-derived quantitative T 1 mapping to assess diffuse white matter alterations in multiple sclerosis
Abstract
Background Multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterized by focal white matter (WM) lesions, but subtle damage also occurs in normal-appearing white matter (NAWM). We developed a method to generate quantitative T 1 maps from MPRAGE (Magnetization Prepared Rapid Gradient Echo) images and evaluated its ability to detect NAWM abnormalities across different MS phenotypes. Methods T 1 maps were derived from MPRAGE using a theoretical signal model and compared with MP2RAGE (Magnetization Prepared 2 Rapid Gradient Echoes) T 1 values in four healthy volunteers. The method was then applied to 87 MS patients, divided into clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), relapsing–remitting MS (RRMS), and primary progressive MS (PPMS), with age- and sex-matched healthy controls. T 1 was measured in NAWM and lesions. Histogram analysis provided mean T 1 , full width at half maximum (FWHM), and skewness. Results In healthy volunteers, T 1 values matched MP2RAGE. In controls matched to the MS cohort, T 1 increased with age (r = 0.35, p < 0.05). CIS patients showed no significant differences in any metric. RRMS and PPMS patients showed unchanged mean NAWM T 1 but significantly different distributions, with higher FWHM (p<0.05) and skewness (p<0.001). An increase in T 1 values was observed in MS lesions compared to NAWM in all groups. Conclusion This study confirms the feasibility of deriving quantitative T 1 maps from standard MPRAGE, offering reliable information to facilitate MS monitoring without additional acquisitions.
Related
- Establishing the Minimal Clinically Important Difference (MCID) for Smartphone-Derived Gait Measures in Multiple Sclerosis
- Pathophysiology and imaging of early memory impairment in multiple sclerosis
- Neuroinflammatory Imaging Biomarkers: Relevance to Multiple Sclerosis and its Therapy
- Multiplex immunohistochemistry of chronic active multiple sclerosis lesions links fibroblast-associated vessels with immune cell cuffs
- Engineering human myelin microphysiological systems for testing patient treatment response in multiple sclerosis
BibTeX
@misc{lavielle2026mpragederived,
title = {{MPRAGE-derived quantitative T 1 mapping to assess diffuse white matter alterations in multiple sclerosis}},
author = {Audrey Lavielle and Fanny Munsch and Aurélie Ruet and Thomas Tourdias and Yannick Crémillieux},
howpublished = {HAL},
year = {2026},
month = may,
doi = {10.64898/2026.05.04.26351019},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05760897v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - MPRAGE-derived quantitative T 1 mapping to assess diffuse white matter alterations in multiple sclerosis
AU - Audrey Lavielle
AU - Fanny Munsch
AU - Aurélie Ruet
AU - Thomas Tourdias
AU - Yannick Crémillieux
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/05/10
PB - HAL
DO - 10.64898/2026.05.04.26351019
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05760897v1
AB - Background Multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterized by focal white matter (WM) lesions, but subtle damage also occurs in normal-appearing white matter (NAWM). We developed a method to generate quantitative T 1 maps from MPRAGE (Magnetization Prepared Rapid Gradient Echo) images and evaluated its ability to detect NAWM abnormalities across different MS phenotypes. Methods T 1 maps were derived from MPRAGE using a theoretical signal model and compared with MP2RAGE (Magnetization Prepared 2 Rapid Gradient Echoes) T 1 values in four healthy volunteers. The method was then applied to 87 MS patients, divided into clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), relapsing–remitting MS (RRMS), and primary progressive MS (PPMS), with age- and sex-matched healthy controls. T 1 was measured in NAWM and lesions. Histogram analysis provided mean T 1 , full width at half maximum (FWHM), and skewness. Results In healthy volunteers, T 1 values matched MP2RAGE. In controls matched to the MS cohort, T 1 increased with age (r = 0.35, p < 0.05). CIS patients showed no significant differences in any metric. RRMS and PPMS patients showed unchanged mean NAWM T 1 but significantly different distributions, with higher FWHM (p<0.05) and skewness (p<0.001). An increase in T 1 values was observed in MS lesions compared to NAWM in all groups. Conclusion This study confirms the feasibility of deriving quantitative T 1 maps from standard MPRAGE, offering reliable information to facilitate MS monitoring without additional acquisitions.
ER -