PURPOSE: Although MRI identification of new lesions forms the basis for monitoring disease progression in @entity15 @entity1 , how lesion activity relates to @entity3057 white matter changes in the brain is unknown. We hypothesized that @entity1 with @entity2287 -enhancing lesions would show greater @entity3057 decline in fractional anisotropy in major tracts compared to those with stable disease. METHODS: Thirty @entity1 with relapsing-remitting @entity15 were included in this study-13 had enhancing lesions at baseline and 17 did not. Each @entity1 underwent at least two 3 Tesla contrast-enhanced MRI scans with a DTI sequence with a median interval of 2.1 years between scans. The forceps major and minor of the corpus callosum and the bilateral corticospinal tracts were selected as the major white matter tracts of interest. These tracts were reconstructed using region-of-interest placement on standard anatomical landmarks and a fiber assignment by continuous tracking algorithm using TrackVis (version 0.5.2.2) software. Mixed-effects regression models were used to determine the association between enhancing lesions and subsequent @entity3057 change in fractional anisotropy. RESULTS: In @entity1 with enhancing lesions, there was greater decline in fractional anisotropy compared to those with stable disease in the forceps major (P = .026), right corticospinal tract (P = .032), and marginally in the left corticospinal tract (P = .050), but not the forceps minor (P = .11). CONCLUSION: Fractional anisotropy of major white matter tracts declined more rapidly in @entity1 with enhancing lesions, suggesting greater diffuse @entity62 with active @entity32 . DTI may provide a means of monitoring @entity62 following relapses.

@entity2287 -Enhancing Lesions Lead to Decreases in White Matter Tract Fractional Anisotropy in XXXX .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'patient'] @entity32 :: ('MESH:D007249', 'Disease') :: ['inflammatory disease'] @entity62 :: ('MESH:D056784', 'Disease') :: ['white matter injury'] @entity2287 :: ('MESH:D005682', 'Chemical') :: ['gadolinium'] @entity15 :: ('MESH:D009103', 'Disease') :: ['multiple sclerosis'] @entity3057 :: ('MESH:D017887', 'Disease') :: ['longitudinal']
@entity15 :: (MESH:D009103,Disease) :: ['Multiple Sclerosis']
