T1 /T2 ratio from 3T MRI improves multiple sclerosis cortical lesion contrast.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Cortical demyelinated lesions are prevalent in multiple sclerosis (MS), associated with disability, and have recently been incorporated into MS diagnostic criteria. Presently, advanced and ultrahigh-field MRIs-not routinely available in clinical practice-are the most sensitive methods for detection of cortical lesions. Approaches utilizing MRI sequences obtainable in routine clinical practice remain an unmet need. We plan to assess the sensitivity of the ratio of T1 -weighted and T2 -weighted (T1 /T2 ) signal intensity for focal cortical lesions in comparison to other high-field imaging methods. METHODS: 3-Tesla and 7-Tesla MRI collected from 10 adults with MS were included in the study. T1 /T2 images were calculated by dividing 3T T1 -weighted (T1 w) images by 3T T2 -weighted (T2 w) fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images for each participant. A total of 614 cortical lesions were identified using 7T T2 *w and T1 w images and corresponding voxels were assessed on registered 3T images. Signal intensities were compared across 3T imaging sequences, including T1 /T2 , T1 w, T2 w, and inversion recovery susceptibility-weighted imaging with enhanced T2 weighting (IR-SWIET) images. RESULTS: T1 /T2 images demonstrated a larger contrast between median lesional and nonlesional cortical signal intensity (median ratio = 1.29, range: 1.19-1.38) when compared to T1 w (1.01, 0.97-1.10, p < .002), T2 w (1.17, 1.07-1.26, p < .002), and IR-SWIET (1.21, 1.01-1.29, p < .03). CONCLUSION: T1 /T2 images are sensitive to cortical lesions. Approaches incorporating T1 /T2 could improve the accessibility of cortical lesion detection in research settings and clinical practice.