Inflammatory Disorders in the Brain and CNS

Inflammatory diseases in the central nervous system (CNS) affect more than 2.3 million patients worldwide. Refining early diagnostic criteria is critical to earlier diagnosis and access to care. The role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is increasingly important in studying disease progression and honing treatment, leading to better long-term patient prognosis. As the most common inflammatory demyelinating disease of the CNS, multiple sclerosis (MS) is a major area of research focus. Capturing the extent of MS-related disease in both white and gray matter CNS regions with advanced MRI techniques offers promise in providing a more complete assessment of associated neurodegenerative changes. These protocols will further serve in improving the assessment of patient outcomes and putative neuroprotective therapies.