This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Molyneux, P. D Articles by Miller, D. H Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Molyneux, P. D Articles by Miller, D. H Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

The precision of T1 hypointense lesion volume quantification in multiple sclerosis treatment trials: a multicenter study

NMR Research Unit, Institute of Neurology, National Hospital, Queen Square, London, UK

Peter A Brex

NMR Research Unit, Institute of Neurology, National Hospital, Queen Square, London, UK

Caroline Fogg

NMR Research Unit, Institute of Neurology, National Hospital, Queen Square, London, UK

Sara Lewis

NMR Research Unit, Institute of Neurology, National Hospital, Queen Square, London, UK

Claire Middleditch

NMR Research Unit, Institute of Neurology, National Hospital, Queen Square, London, UK

Frederik Barkhof

MRI Centre for MS Research and Radiology, Academic Hospital of the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Maria P Sormani

Neuroimaging Research Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Scientific Institute Ospedale San Raffaele, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

Massimo Filippi

Neuroimaging Research Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Scientific Institute Ospedale San Raffaele, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

David H Miller

NMR Research Unit, Institute of Neurology, National Hospital, Queen Square, London, UK

The volume of hypointense lesions on T1 weighted brain MRI represents an increasingly used MR endpoint in phase III MS treatment trials. In this study we evaluated the reproducibility of hypointense T1 lesion volume quantification in a cohort of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients. The gadolinium enhanced T1 weighted brain MR images of 33 MS patients from three European centers were used in this study. These images were acquired as part of a phase III trial of interferon beta-1b in secondary progressive MS. The MRI machine manufacturers and imaging parameters varied according to the MRI acquisition center. Three experienced observers used a semi-automated local thresholding technique to quantify the hypointense T1 lesion volume on two occasions, separated by a delay. The intra and inter observer coefficients of variation were 3.7% and 4.9% respectively, with similar values derived for images obtained at all three sites. There was a generally high level of agreement between the lesion volumes obtained by the three raters. However, a modest but significant measurement drift was identified between the first and second sessions for one of the three raters, highlighting the very real possibility of measurement drift even for experienced observers. Our results support the increasing role for T1 hypointense lesion volume as an outcome measure in multicenter phase III MS treatment trials.

Key Words: T1 black hole • magnetic resonance imaging • multiple sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis, Vol. 6, No. 4, 237-240 (2000)
DOI: 10.1177/135245850000600405


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Schach, M. Scholz, J.S. Wolinsky, and L. Kappos Pooled historical MRI data as a basis for research in multiple sclerosis - a statistical evaluation Multiple Sclerosis, May 1, 2007; 13(4): 509 - 516. [Abstract] [PDF]

				B. Benedetti, D.J. Rigotti, S. Liu, M. Filippi, R.I. Grossman, and O. Gonen Reproducibility of the Whole-Brain N-Acetylaspartate Level across Institutions, MR Scanners, and Field Strengths AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., January 1, 2007; 28(1): 72 - 75. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]