Have you seen your own MRI scans? #ClinicSpeak #MSBlog
MRI monitoring is becoming ubiquitous in the monitoring of MS disease activity. I would be interested to know if pwMS are being engaged with the monitoring of their own MRI scans. If yes, this may be one way of helping move from a 'passive' to a 'more active' form of monitoring MS disease activity. I am convinced that people with rheumatoid arthritis are more engaged with the management of their disease because the RA disease activity score contains a PROM (patient-related outcome measure). Providing pwMS with their own MRI metrics may help. Or you may disagree?
On standard MRI the following metrics are associated with poorer outcomes; it may be helpful in making decisions about you treatment if you knew about these.
- Number of T2 lesions (white or high signal lesions)
- Gd-enhancing lesions (actively inflammed lesions)
- Presence and number of posterior fossa lesions (brain stem and cerebellum)
- Presence and number of spinal cord lesions
- Presence of T1 lesions or black holes (swiss cheese lesions)
- Presence of obvious brain atrophy
Labels: #ClinicSpeak, MRI, PROM