The role of high-frequency MRI monitoring in the detection of pathological brain atrophy in MS.

What is it about?

A relatively high intraindividual variability of longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of brain volume loss measurements over time renders challenging its application to individual multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Objective of this study was to investigate if high-frequency brain MRI monitoring (every 2, 4 or 6 months) affects identification of pathological brain volume loss in an individual patient.

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Why is it important?

High-frequency MRI monitoring (bi-monthly) was associated with a 10.5-22.2% change in accuracy compared with standard yearly MRI monitoring. An increase of the frequency of MRI monitoring from every 12 months to every 6 months leads to only a marginal improvement (2.6% accuracy change) in estimating brain volume loss. Therefore, 6 monthly MRI monitoring would probably not provide substantial add-on value to regular annual MRI monitoring. Taken together, a yearly MRI monitoring appears to be much more clinically relevant than a high-frequency bi-monthly MRI monitoring, which is neither feasible nor economically realistic for the average MS patient.

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