R2 is Reduced in Normal Appearing White Matter & Lesions & Increased in the Basal Ganglia in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

David J. Paling¹, Daniel J. Tozer¹, Claudia A. M. Wheeler-Kingshott¹, Xavier Golay¹, Raju Kapoor¹, David H. Miller¹

R2 is a measure of magnetic field inhomogeneity in the imaging voxel, and is increased by deoxyhaemaglobin and non-haem iron. We created R2 maps in 7 patients with MS and 5 controls. R2 was significantly reduced in lesions as compared to the normal appearing white matter in patients with MS, and R2 was significantly lower in the normal appearing white matter, and significantly higher in the basal ganglia in patients with MS as compared to controls. These results suggest iron accumulation in the basal ganglia and reduction in deoxyhaemaglobin or non haem iron in lesions and normal appearing white matter.