Junqian Xu1, Robert T. Naismith1,
Nhial Tutlam1, Kathryn M. Trinkaus2, Sheng-Kwei Song3,
Anne Cross1
1Neurology, Washington University in
St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States; 2Biostatistics,
Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States; 3Radiology,
Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
We
studied 70 remote optic neuritis (ON) patients using the previously described
high-resolution reduced field-of-view optic nerve diffusion tensor imaging
protocol at 3 T. Radial diffusivity
(RD) strongly correlated with visual functional assessments, retinal nerve
fiber layer thickness, and visual evoked potential. RD also discriminated nerves with normal
recovery from those with mild visual impairment, and those with mild
impairment from profound visual loss.
In addition, RD differentiated healthy controls from both the
clinically affected nerves and unaffected fellow nerves after ON. RD
differentiated all categories of 5% contrast
sensitivity (CS) outcomes, and all categories of Pelli-Robson CS with
the exception of normal recovery from mildly affected.