PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Blaschek, A. AU - Keeser, D. AU - Müller, S. AU - Koerte, I.K. AU - Sebastian Schröder, A. AU - Müller-Felber, W. AU - Heinen, F. AU - Ertl-Wagner, B. TI - Early White Matter Changes in Childhood Multiple Sclerosis: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study AID - 10.3174/ajnr.A3581 DP - 2013 Oct 01 TA - American Journal of Neuroradiology PG - 2015--2020 VI - 34 IP - 10 4099 - http://www.ajnr.org/content/34/10/2015.short 4100 - http://www.ajnr.org/content/34/10/2015.full SO - Am. J. Neuroradiol.2013 Oct 01; 34 AB - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Loss of integrity in nonlesional white matter occurs as a fundamental feature of multiple sclerosis in adults. The purpose of our study was to evaluate DTI-derived measures of white matter microstructure in children with MS compared with age- and sex-matched controls by using tract-based spatial statistics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fourteen consecutive pediatric patients with MS (11 female/3 male; mean age, 15.1 ± 1.6 years; age range, 12–17 years) and age- and sex-matched healthy subjects (11 female/3 male; mean age, 14.8 ± 1.7 years) were included in the study. After we obtained DTI sequences, data processing was performed by using tract-based spatial statistics. RESULTS: Compared with healthy age- and sex-matched controls, children with multiple sclerosis showed a global decrease in mean fractional anisotropy (P ≤ .001), with a concomitant increase in mean (P < .001), radial (P < .05), and axial diffusivity (P < .001). The most pronounced fractional anisotropy value decrease in patients with MS was found in the splenium of the corpus callosum (P < .001). An additional decrease in fractional anisotropy was identified in the right temporal and right and left parietal regions (P < .001). Fractional anisotropy of the white matter skeleton was related to disease duration and may, therefore, serve as a diagnostic marker. CONCLUSIONS: The microstructure of white matter is altered early in the disease course in childhood multiple sclerosis. ADaxial diffusivityFAfractional anisotropyMDmean diffusivityRDradial diffusivityTBSStract-based spatial statistics