Objective: Since astrocytes at the blood-brain barrier are targeted by neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), this study aims to assess whether patients with NMOSD have a subclinical accumulation of brain water and if it differs according to disease activity. Methods: Seventy-seven aquaporin-4-positive patients with NMOSD and 105 healthy controls were enrolled at two European centres. Brain dual-echo turbo spin-echo MR images were evaluated and maps of T2 relaxation time (T2rt) in the normal-appearing white matter (NAWM), grey matter and basal ganglia were obtained. Patients with a clinical relapse within 1 month before or after MRI acquisition were defined 'active'. Differences between patients and controls were assessed using z-scores of T2rt obtained with age-adjusted and sex-adjusted linear models from each site. A stepwise binary logistic regression was run on clinical and MRI variables to identify independent predictors of disease activity. Results: Patients had increased T2rt in both white and grey matter structures (p range: 0.014 to <0.0001). Twenty patients with NMOSD were defined active. Despite similar clinical and MRI features, active patients had a significantly increased T2rt in the NAWM and grey matter compared with those clinically stable (p range: 0.010-0.002). The stepwise binary logistic regression selected the NAWM as independently associated with disease activity (beta=2.06, SE=0.58, Nagelkerke R2=0.46, p<0.001). Conclusions: In line with the research hypothesis, patients with NMOSD have increased brain T2rt. The magnitude of this alteration might be useful for identifying those patients with active disease.

MR T2-relaxation time as an indirect measure of brain water content and disease activity in NMOSD / Cacciaguerra, Laura; Pagani, Elisabetta; Radaelli, Marta; Mesaros, Sarlota; Martinelli, Vittorio; Ivanovic, Jovana; Drulovic, Jelena; Filippi, Massimo; Rocca, Maria A. - In: JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, NEUROSURGERY AND PSYCHIATRY. - ISSN 1468-330X. - 93:(2022), pp. 753-760. [10.1136/jnnp-2022-328956]

MR T2-relaxation time as an indirect measure of brain water content and disease activity in NMOSD

Cacciaguerra, Laura
Primo
;
Filippi, Massimo
Penultimo
;
Rocca, Maria A
Ultimo
2022-01-01

Abstract

Objective: Since astrocytes at the blood-brain barrier are targeted by neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), this study aims to assess whether patients with NMOSD have a subclinical accumulation of brain water and if it differs according to disease activity. Methods: Seventy-seven aquaporin-4-positive patients with NMOSD and 105 healthy controls were enrolled at two European centres. Brain dual-echo turbo spin-echo MR images were evaluated and maps of T2 relaxation time (T2rt) in the normal-appearing white matter (NAWM), grey matter and basal ganglia were obtained. Patients with a clinical relapse within 1 month before or after MRI acquisition were defined 'active'. Differences between patients and controls were assessed using z-scores of T2rt obtained with age-adjusted and sex-adjusted linear models from each site. A stepwise binary logistic regression was run on clinical and MRI variables to identify independent predictors of disease activity. Results: Patients had increased T2rt in both white and grey matter structures (p range: 0.014 to <0.0001). Twenty patients with NMOSD were defined active. Despite similar clinical and MRI features, active patients had a significantly increased T2rt in the NAWM and grey matter compared with those clinically stable (p range: 0.010-0.002). The stepwise binary logistic regression selected the NAWM as independently associated with disease activity (beta=2.06, SE=0.58, Nagelkerke R2=0.46, p<0.001). Conclusions: In line with the research hypothesis, patients with NMOSD have increased brain T2rt. The magnitude of this alteration might be useful for identifying those patients with active disease.
2022
MRI
astrocytopathy
neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders
water channel
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11768/128683
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 1
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 1
social impact