New MRI Technique may Help Detect Multiple Sclerosis

A new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique has been developed by a team of researchers at the University of British Columbia, which may help detect signs of multiple sclerosis more vividly. The technique analyzes the frequency of electro-magnetic waves collected by an MRI scanner, instead of the size of those waves. Although analyzing the number of waves per second had long been considered a more sensitive way of detecting changes in tissue structure, the math needed to create usable images had proved daunting.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) occurs when a person's immune cells attack the protective insulation, known as myelin, that surrounds nerve fibres. The breakdown of myelin impedes the electrical signals transmitted between neurons, leading to a range of symptoms, including numbness or weakness, vision loss, tremors, dizziness and fatigue.

		IMAGE: This brain image was developed using a frequency-based MRI scan. The circled areas show lesions -- scars in the myelin. Click here for more information.

Source-Eurekalert