A statistical revisiting of multiple sclerosis lesions based on MRI; By Russell Shinohara, Associate Professor of Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine

Abstract:

Lesions in the white matter of the brain, including those that arise in multiple sclerosis, are abnormalities measurable on MRI. While much literature has focused on the identification of these lesions, less work has focused on the nature of these lesions. As new imaging modalities arise that allow us to better interrogate these lesions, new statistical modeling problems that include spatial constraints and overlapping domains of analysis are increasingly important. Leveraging multi-modal imaging approaches that focus on knowledge about etiology is critical for developing the next generation of robust and generalizable imaging biomarkers.