INTRODUCTION: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting lower and upper motor neurons. Degeneration of the lateral corticospinal tract (CST) is a key finding in ALS cervical spinal cord autopsies. We hypothesized that in vivo ultra-high-field MRI of the cervical spinal cord can detect abnormality in the CST. METHODS: A patient with ALS (disease duration 23 months) and a healthy control were scanned at 7-T MRI using a 19-channel coil. Multi-echo T2*-weighted imaging was performed in the spinal cord, covering C2-C6. Cross-sectional resolution was 0.37 × 0.37 mm(2). RESULTS: We detected clear signal hyperintensity in both segments of the lateral CST in the ALS patient, which was significant when compared with the normal control subject (P < 10(-7)). CONCLUSION: We believe there are potential benefits of 7-T MRI for increased sensitivity and spatial accuracy in characterizing pathology in the spinal cord.
INTRODUCTION:Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting lower and upper motor neurons. Degeneration of the lateral corticospinal tract (CST) is a key finding in ALS cervical spinal cord autopsies. We hypothesized that in vivo ultra-high-field MRI of the cervical spinal cord can detect abnormality in the CST. METHODS: A patient with ALS (disease duration 23 months) and a healthy control were scanned at 7-T MRI using a 19-channel coil. Multi-echo T2*-weighted imaging was performed in the spinal cord, covering C2-C6. Cross-sectional resolution was 0.37 × 0.37 mm(2). RESULTS: We detected clear signal hyperintensity in both segments of the lateral CST in the ALSpatient, which was significant when compared with the normal control subject (P < 10(-7)). CONCLUSION: We believe there are potential benefits of 7-T MRI for increased sensitivity and spatial accuracy in characterizing pathology in the spinal cord.
Authors: A R Martin; B De Leener; J Cohen-Adad; D W Cadotte; S Kalsi-Ryan; S F Lange; L Tetreault; A Nouri; A Crawley; D J Mikulis; H Ginsberg; M G Fehlings Journal: AJNR Am J Neuroradiol Date: 2017-04-20 Impact factor: 3.825
Authors: A R Martin; B De Leener; J Cohen-Adad; D W Cadotte; S Kalsi-Ryan; S F Lange; L Tetreault; A Nouri; A Crawley; D J Mikulis; H Ginsberg; M G Fehlings Journal: AJNR Am J Neuroradiol Date: 2017-04-20 Impact factor: 3.825
Authors: Wei Zhao; Julien Cohen-Adad; Jonathan R Polimeni; Boris Keil; Bastien Guerin; Kawin Setsompop; Peter Serano; Azma Mareyam; Philipp Hoecht; Lawrence L Wald Journal: Magn Reson Med Date: 2013-08-20 Impact factor: 4.668