journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/msard Available online at www.sciencedirect.com Sulcal and gyral crown cortical grey matter involvement in multiple sclerosis: A magnetisation transfer ratio study R.S. Samson n , N. Muhlert, V. Sethi, C.A.M. Wheeler-Kingshott, M.A. Ron, D.H. Miller, D.T Chard NMR Research Unit, Department of Neuroinflammation, Queen Square house, Queen Square MS Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK Received 27 September 2012; received in revised form 19 December 2012; accepted 10 January 2013 KEYWORDS Multiple sclerosis; Magnetisation transfer ratio; Cortical grey matter; MRI; Sulcal; Gyral crown Abstract Background: Histopathology has demonstrated extensive cortical grey matter (GM) demyeli- nation in multiple sclerosis (MS), and suggests that sulcal folds may be preferentially affected, particularly in progressive MS. This has not been confirmed in vivo, and it is not known if it is relevant to clinical status. Objectives: To determine sulcal and gyral crown magnetisation transfer ratio (MTR) in MS cortical GM, and the MTR associations with clinical status. Methods: We measured sulcal and gyral crown cortical GM MTR values in 61 MS patients and 32 healthy controls. Disability was measured using Expanded Disability Status Scale and Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite scores. Results: MTR values were reduced in sulcal and gyral crown regions in all MS subtypes, more so in secondary progressive (SP) MS than relapsing remitting (RR) MS, and similarly in primary progressive (PP) MS and RRMS. Sulcal MTR was lower than gyral crown MTR in controls, PPMS and RRMS patients, but not in SPMS. MTR correlated with clinical status in RRMS and SPMS, but not PPMS. Conclusions: Cortical pathology, as reflected by MTR, is present in all MS subtypes and most pronounced in SPMS. A preferential disease effect on sulcal cortical regions was not observed. Cortical MTR abnormalities appear to be more clinically relevant in relapse-onset rather than progressive-onset MS. & 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Cortical grey matter (CGM) lesions are common in MS, and those detected using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are associated with physical and cognitive impairment (Calabrese 2211-0348/$ - see front matter & 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.msard.2013.01.001 n Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 44 203 4484260; fax: +1 44 207 2785616. E-mail address: r.samson@ucl.ac.uk (R.S. Samson). Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders (]]]]) ], ]]]–]]] Please cite this article as: Samson RS, et al. Sulcal and gyral crown cortical grey matter involvement in multiple sclerosis: A magnetisation transfer ratio study. Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.msard.2013.01.001