MRI shows reduction of CBF and increased hypoxia relate to disease severity in the EAE mouse model of Multiple Sclerosis

Motivation: In Multiple Sclerosis (MS), impaired cerebral blood flow (CBF), low tissue oxygenation (hypoxia), and inflammation could precede demyelination and neurodegeneration. MRI is crucial for monitoring MS, but conventional methods struggle to evaluate damage in normal-appearing gray and white matter (NAGM, NAWM). Goal(s): To validate non-invasive MRI metrics as biomarkers for cerebral cortex (NAGM) pathology in MS, using the EAE mouse model. Approach: We applied non-invasive ASL-MRI, multi-gradient echo, and multi-slice multi-echo sequences on a 9.4T MRI, to assess CBF, R2*, and qT2 as markers for hypoperfusion, hypoxia and inflammation. Results: EAE showed reduced CBF, increased R2* and reduced qT2. Impact: Developing non-invasive MRI metrics as biomarkers of hypoxia, hypoperfusion and disease severity in the EAE NAGM is critical to enhance our understanding of the mechanisms driving MS progression and potentially improve treatment strategies.