Multimodal magnetic resonance imaging quantification of gray matter alterations in relapsing‐remitting multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder

Abstract Herein, we combined neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) and synthetic magnetic resonance imaging (SyMRI) to evaluate the spatial distribution and extent of gray matter (GM) microstructural alterations in patients with relapsing‐remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). The NODDI (neurite density index [NDI], orientation dispersion index [ODI], and isotropic volume fraction [ISOVF]) and SyMRI (myelin volume fraction [MVF]) measures were compared between age‐ and sex‐matched groups of 30 patients with RRMS (6 males and 24 females; mean age, 51.43 ± 8.02 years), 18 patients with anti‐aquaporin‐4 antibody‐positive NMOSD (2 males and 16 females; mean age, 52.67 ± 16.07 years), and 19 healthy controls (6 males and 13 females; mean age, 51.47 ± 9.25 years) using GM‐based spatial statistical analysis. Patients with RRMS showed reduced NDI and MVF and increased ODI and ISOVF, predominantly in the limbic and paralimbic regions, when compared with healthy controls, while only increases in ODI and ISOVF were observed when compared with NMOSD. Compared to NDI and MVF, the changes in ODI and ISOVF were observed more widely, including in the cerebellar cortex. These abnormalities were associated with disease progression and disability. In contrast, patients with NMOSD only showed reduced NDI mainly in the cerebellar, limbic, and paralimbic cortices when compared with healthy controls and patients with RRMS. Taken together, our study supports the notion that GM pathologies in RRMS are distinct from those of NMOSD. However, owing to the limitations of the study, the results should be cautiously interpreted.