Before revision:  Our results show strong relationship between disability and mean of the kurtosis tensor, radial kurtosis, radial diffusivity, similar to what was found in other hypomyelinating MS models and in patients. However, changes in WM-modeling parameters and in particular in extra-axonal axial diffusivity are clearly different from previous studies using other animal models of MS. Our data suggest that DKI and microstructural modeling can provide a unique contrast capable of detecting EAE-specific changes in normal appearing white matter and gray matter correlating with clinical disability.
After revision:  Our results show strong relationship between disability and measured microstructural parameters in normal appearing white matter and gray matter. The changes we found in biophysical modeling parameters and in particular in extra-axonal axial diffusivity are clearly different from previous studies using other animal models of MS. Our data suggest that DKI and microstructural modeling can provide a unique contrast capable of detecting EAE-specific changes in normal appearing white matter and gray matter correlating with clinical disability.