Grant: Operating Grant

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a devastating condition and is the most common chronic neurological disease affecting young adults in Canada. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has revolutionized the detection of MS in the brain and spinal cord and is now an essential tool in the diagnosis and monitoring of the disease. However, as it is routinely used, MRI is very sensitive to MS disease detection in the white matter of the brain but is not good at differentiating between different characteristics of MS lesions such as inflammation versus destruction of myelin, an important component of brain tissue. Conventional MRI is also not very sensitive to MS disease in the grey matter of the brain. In this application we propose to develop a new MRI technique that will enable whole brain quantitative assessment of tissue destruction. After verifying the performance of this technique using postmortem MS brains we will use it to study the pattern of white matter and grey matter damage in MS patients. Specifically, we wish to determine if damage to the grey matter is the result of prior damage to the white matter or is independent. We will also study the relationship between the location of brain tissue damage and specific aspects of the patients' disability. This project will provide new tools for comprehensive and quantitative assessment of tissue damage in MS patients and will reveal new information on the natural evolution of the disease. This research will also enable the evaluation of badly needed new therapies that attempt to slow or stop the progression of this disease.