Imaging analysis of myelin pathologies in multiple sclerosis using q-Space Myelin Map method

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K07508
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 52020:Neurology-related
• Research Institution: Keio University
• Principal Investigator: Nakahara Jin 慶應義塾大学, 医学部(信濃町), 教授 (60537950)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 多発性硬化症 / ミエリンマップ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, and the number of patients in Japan is on a rise. An inflammatory demyelination is the key pathology of MS, however, the ordinal MRI was only able to visualize a part of those lesions and hidden histological myelin pathologies had been reported in "normal-appearing" white matters (NAWM). In the present study, we utilized a novel MRI sequence called "Myelin Map" or q-Space Myelin Map (qMM), specific to myelin signals, to analyze myelin dynamics in NAWM. We found that qMM values were correlated with progression of, and physical and cognitive disabilities of MS.

Free Research Field

神経内科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

多発性硬化症（MS）は中枢神経系の脱髄疾患である。MRIにより脱髄病変（T2病変）を検出することが、その診断と治療効果モニタリングにおいて中心的な役割を担っているが、他方で微細な髄鞘傷害は通常のMRIでは検出できない。我々の研究グループでは髄鞘特異的なMRI撮像法（q-Space Myelin Map（qMM）法）を開発し、MS患者の髄鞘動態の解析を行った。その結果、一見正常に見えるnormal-appearing white matters（NAWM）において髄鞘傷害が生じていることが確認され、神経学的障害することを確認し、qMMがMSの個別化医療に寄与する可能性が示唆された。