Multiple Sclerosis

Highlights

• A poster by Zhang Y. et al. was presented at the annual Americas MS research and treatment meeting (ACTRIMS) held in Chicago, USA on October 8th, 2006. The theme of this meeting was on "Biomarkers in MS".
• A parallel meeting was also undertaken in Madrid, Spain on Septeber 27-30, 2006 organized by the European MS committee (ECTRIMS).

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. The disease destroys myelin, a fatty protective neuron coating that aids in nerve signal propagation, in patches throughout the central nervous system. As a result, neuron signal pathways can be delayed or destroyed. The location of MS attacks is unpredictable, resulting with a plethora of symptoms including changes in perception, visual problems, weakness, and difficulties in coordination and speech.

Healthy subject

People with multiple sclerosis

MS has four main disease types: benign; relapsing-remitting (RR); secondary progressive (SP); and, primary progressive (PP). Relapsing-remitting is characterized by unpredictable attacks followed by durations of disease inactivity where the patient might recover slightly, known as remission. Primary progressive MS is characterized by a steady increase of disability following the initial MS attack; there are no periods of remission. Secondary progressive MS is characterized by initial RR disease suddenly changing into PP.

More information on MS can be found at the MS Society of Canada website.

If you are interested in our research, please check out the following publications:

Papers

• The clinical response to minocycline in MS is accompanied by beneficial immune changes: A pilot study. RK Zabad, LM Metz, T Todoruk, Y Zhang, JR Mitchell, M Yeung, D Patry, RB Bell, VW Yong. Multiple Sclerosis 2006, in press.
  
• A Novel MRI Texture Analysis of Demyelination and Inflammation in Relapsing-remitting Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis. Zhang Y, Wells J, Buist R, Peeling J, Yong VW, Mitchell JR. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2006.
  
• Characterization of the NMR behavior of white matter in bovine brain. Bjarnason TA, Vavasour IM, Chia CLL, MacKay AL. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 54(5); 1072-81 (2005). PMID: 16200557, doi: 10.1002/mrm.20680
• Minocycline Reduces Gadolinium-enhancing MRI Lesions in Multiple Sclerosis. Metz LM, Zhang Y, Yeung M, Patry DG, Bell RB, Stoian CA, Yong VW, Patten SB, Duquette P, Antel JP, Mitchell JR. Annals of Neurology, 55(5):756 (2004). PMID: 15122721, doi: 10.1002/ana.20119
• Posterior fossa lesion volume and slowed information processing in multiple sclerosis. Archibald CJ, Wei X, Scott JN, Wallace CJ, Zhang Y, Metz LM, Mitchell JR. Brain, 127(7):1526-34 (2004). PMID: 15090476, doi: 10.1093/brain/awh167
• Texture Analysis of MR Images of Minocycline Treated MS Patients. Y Zhang, H Zhu, R Ferrari, X Wei, M Eliasziw, LM Metz, JR Mitchell. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2003, Volume 2878, Pages 786-793.
• Magnetization Transfer and Multi-component T2 Relaxation Measurments with Histopathological Correaltion in an Experimental Model of MS. Gareau PJ, Rutt BK, Karlik SJ, Mitchell JR. Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 11(6):586-95 (2000). PMID: 10862056, doi: 10.1002/1522-2586(200006)11:6<586::AID-JMRI3>3.0.CO;2-V
• Computer assisted identification and quantification of multiple sclerosis lesions in MR imaging volumes in the brain. Mitchell JR, Karlik SJ, Lee DH, Fenster A. Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 4(2):197-208 (1994). PMID: 8180461, DOI: 10.1002/jmri.1880040218

Abstracts

• ‘Black T2’ at 3T MRI: A biomarker for Disability in Multiple Sclerosis? Zhang Y, Metz LM, Zabad R, Mitchell JR. Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS), Oct 8, 2006.
  
• Serial texture analysis in deep gray matter of patients with multiple sclerosis treated with minocycline. Y Zhang, LM Metz, H Zhu, VW Yong, JR Mitchell. Berlex Canada MS Research Award at the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, June 13-17, 2006. 

• T2 Hypointensity at 3 T Correlates with Expanded Disability Status Scale in Multiple Sclerosis. Zhang Y, Metz LM, Zabad R, Lauzon LM, Wei X, Frayne R, Mitchell JR. Proceedings of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 13; 1052 (2005).

• In vivo MRI quantification of mouse spinal cord with Relapsing Remitting EAE: Disability and imaging correlates. Zhang Y, Wells J, Buist T, Sun X, Peeling J, Yong WV, Mitchell JR. Proceedings of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 13; 1094 (2005).
• Correlation of diffusion measures with multicomponent T2-relaxation data in Multiple Sclerosis lesions and normal appearing white matter. Kolind SH, Laule C, Bjarnason TA, Vavasour IM, Traboulsee AL, Li DK, MacKay AL. Proceedings of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 13; 314 (2005)
• Proton signal characterisation in white matter: a four pool model. Bjarnason TA, Vavasour IM, Chia CLL, MacKay AL. Proceedings of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 12; 2706 (2004)