The following is a summary of “Evaluation of myelin content in the spinal cord of patients with multiple sclerosis: a positron emission tomography study,” published in the December 2024 issue of Neurology by Lucena et al.  

Multiple sclerosis (MS), which includes relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and progressive MS (PMS), is associated with damage to the spinal cord that varies by disease type, affecting disability and atrophy of the cervical spinal cord (CSC).  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to evaluate myelin content in the CSC using positron emission tomography (PET) with [¹¹C]Pittsburgh compound B ([¹¹C]PIB) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), assessing the association with disability in individuals with MS compared to healthy volunteers.  

They analyzed data from PET imaging with [¹¹C]PIB and T1-weighted MRI at CSC segments C1-C2, C3, and C4 in 49 individuals with MS and 19 healthy volunteers, [¹¹C]PIB uptake and CSC volume were compared between the groups and examined correlations with disability scores as measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS).  

The results showed significantly lower [¹¹C]PIB uptake at CSC segments C1-C4, C1-C2, and C3 in individuals with PMS compared to those with RRMS and healthy volunteers. The [¹¹C]PIB uptake was inversely correlated with EDSS disability scores across all CSC segments in all individuals with MS, as well as within the RRMS group separately (P<0.05).  

They concluded that lower [¹¹C]PIB uptake in the CSC was associated with higher disability scores and may be a valuable biomarker for demyelination in individuals with MS.  

Source: msard-journal.com/article/S2211-0348(24)00824-1/abstract