Extended Data Fig. 8: Quantitative analysis of metabolic imaging for detecting MS lesions prior to the changes observable in conventional structural images. | Nature Biomedical Engineering

Extended Data Fig. 8: Quantitative analysis of metabolic imaging for detecting MS lesions prior to the changes observable in conventional structural images.

From: Ultrafast J-resolved magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging for high-resolution metabolic brain imaging

Extended Data Fig. 8

a, Identification of the prelesion regions (yellow), based on the difference between initial and follow-up T2w images obtained from the patient. b, Regional average (solid line) and standard deviation (shaded area) of FID spectra in NAWM and prelesion regions, respectively. c, Box plots of mI/NAA and Lac levels in NAWM (n = 1103), prelesion 1 (n = 83) and prelesion 2 (n = 45) regions. Lac levels were shown in arbitrary units. Box plots are represented by median and interquartile range, with ±1.5 interquartile range as whiskers. Elevated mI/NAA and Lac were detected in the prelesion regions at the time of the initial scan, prior to noticeable changes in the structural image. The specific molecular changes were: prelesion 1 & 2 mI/NAA: 30.3%, P < 0.001; prelesion 1 mI/NAA: 31.5%, P < 0.001; prelesion 2 mI/NAA: 26.2%, P < 0.001; prelesion 1 & 2 Lac: 120.9%, P < 0.001; prelesion 1 Lac: 73.7%; P < 0.001; prelesion 2 Lac: 200.0%, P < 0.001). Unpaired two-tailed Student’s t-tests were performed. Abbreviations: T2w, T2-weighted; NAWM, normal-appearing white matter; NAA, N-acetyl aspartate; mI, myo-inositol; Lac, lactate.

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