Test-Retest Reliability of DSC-MRI Perfusion Metrics in Multiple Sclerosis Patients and Healthy Controls

Motivation: To validate DSC-MRI reliability in MS for detecting microvascular changes, enhancing disease monitoring and patient management. Goal(s): The purpose of this study is to assess the test-retest reliability of perfusion MRI using dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and healthy controls Approach: By evaluating cerebral blood volume (CBV) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) metrics in both lesion areas and normal-appearing white matter (NAWM), we assess the repeatability of total and microvascular perfusion measures Results: Results show moderate to high repeatability in perfusion metrics within lesion areas, with increased variability in NAWM, particularly in microvascular CBV and CBF Impact: These differences suggest microvascular abnormalities in NAWM, potentially contrasting with the stable metrics seen in lesion areas or healthy controls.These findings underscore the reliability of DSC-based perfusion MRI and its utility in tracking hemodynamic changes in MS.