Comparison of 1.5T vs. 3T Protocols After Treatment With Glatiramer Acetate (GA)

Overview

This study will: * Explore whether GA decreases inflammation more on the 3T optimized protocol when compared to the 1.5T standard protocol. * Compare whether the decrease in the cumulative number of Gd-enhancing lesions significantly differs between pre-treatment (day 0) and post-treatment (12 months) using 1.5T standard and 3T optimized protocols. * Investigate the correlation between MTR and the cumulative number and volume of Gd enhancing lesions on 1.5T standard and 3T optimized protocols in patients treated with GA. This study suggests that GA may favorably affect early events in lesion formation, in addition to exerting more transient beneficial effects on established areas of inflammation and demyelination, and that this effect may be observed only with the 3T optimized protocol.

Interferon-β (IFN- β) and glatiramer acetate (GA) are the two main groups of drugs used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). Notably, while both ultimately decrease central nervous system (CNS) inflammation, they do so by very different mechanisms. Therefore, use of 1.5T MRI, triple dose of Gd, delay of scanning time for 20-30 min after Gd injection, and application of off-resonance saturated MT pulse may increase the ability to detect Gd lesions by approximately 120% when compared to 1.5T single dose MRI protocol. The 3T standard protocol may increase the ability to detect Gd enhancing lesions by 40-50% when compared to the 1.5T standard protocol. This may indicate that the 3T optimized protocol may increase the ability for Gd lesion detection by approximately 150-180%, when compared to the 1.5T standard protocol.