A Correlational Study of Changes in Behaviour and MRI Measures in the CNS in the EAE Mouse Model of Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system, with a posited hypoxia-inflammation cycle hypothesis. Hypoxia may increase disease severity in MS. We found R2* was increased (an MRI marker of hypoxia) in the cortex. We observed increased sickness and R2* in EAE mice compared to controls, but reduced CBF in both CFA-PTx and EAE. Inflammation is in both groups, while autoimmunity is only in EAE. Reduced CBF may relate to inflammation, whereas hypoxia may relate to autoimmune-mediated damage and increase disease severity.