Sensitivity of Immediate and Delayed Gadolinium-Enhanced MRI - Dissertation Example

The change in time has been accompanied by the emergence of various developments, including the discovery of medical complications. There has been the need to come up with various developments to improve the diagnostic processes of the evolving medical complications. In line with these, various procedures have been devised and these have been particularly facilitated by the trending technological developments. One of these developments is Instead, it is largely subject to experience and trial-and-error method, whose other confounding factors include the nature and concentration of the contrasting agent. This report seeks to document the sensitivity of immediate and delayed Gadolinium-Enhanced MRI after Injection of gadolinium contrast of detecting multiple sclerosis lesion. Furthermore, also of particular interest would be to ascertain the effective delay time for the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, at a given concentration.

The rest of the paper is organized as follows. First, multiple sclerosis medical complication, including various diagnostic modalities, is explained. Next, magnetic resonance imaging, including the underlying principles, is explored, followed by the principles of the functionality of the contrast agents. Subsequently, the focus is directed to the experiment and analysis of the results for inference, wherein the impact of delayed time in MRI is investigated.

Multiple sclerosis also referred to as disseminated sclerosis, is a disease that affects the myelin sheaths of the brain. Multiple sclerosis entails inflammation that follows the damage of the myelin sheaths, which surround the brain axons, or the spinal cords. This results in a condition that is characterized by scarring or demyelination, which also entails a wide range of signs and symptoms. The onset of the complication is common among young adults and it is particularly prevalent among women. The prevalence of Multiple sclerosis ranges between 2 and 150 per 100, 000 (Lukasik and Gillies 2003).

The condition is known to affect the nerve cell stability both in the spinal cords and the brains, limiting the communication between the two areas. Conventionally, the communication through the nerve cells entails the discharge of the electrical signals through the axons, which are surrounded by the myelin sheaths. In a typical condition characterized by Multiple sclerosis, the immune system of the body is known to attack its own myelin tissue. Once the myelin sheath has been destroyed, the axons become limited in performing their function in their most effective manner. They are deprived of the capability to conduct the signals efficiently, resulting in scarring conditions (Bammer and Newbould 2005).

In this case, a scar is a lesion or a plague that is formed in the brain white matter, which is known to particularly comprise a significant volume of the myelin. Despite the fact that a lot of information about the mechanisms underlying the formation of Multiple sclerosis is well documented, the exact cause of the complication remains unknown. Instead, the whole subject has been largely theorized and the common theories include those pertaining to infection, as well as genetics. In addition, several environmental factors have been associated with the condition.