The MS Wire

News, info and tips for living with multiple sclerosis

Tag: mri

New lower-dose MRI contrast agent used on first patient

mri machine

If you have multiple sclerosis, I’m sure you’ve had several MRIs by now. You’ve probably also had one using a contrast agent. That contrast agent is made from a rare earth element called gadolinium. Mixed with other chemical ions, it highlights lesions or areas of active MS inflammation that would otherwise be difficult or impossible for a radiologist to see. It’s a useful tool, but there have been concerns about…Continue Reading

Will a New Contrast Material Lessen MRI Concerns?

mri machine

If you have multiple sclerosis (MS), you’ve probably had several MRIs “with” and “without.” The “with” means injecting a contrast agent containing gadolinium into a vein. The agent then travels into the brain, where it “lights up” areas of active inflammation that otherwise would be difficult or impossible for doctors to see. Using a gadolinium-based contrast agent is an important part of the diagnostic and disease-tracking process for people with…Continue Reading

If My MRI is Stable, Why is My Walking Getting Worse?

During a routine exam with my neurologist recently, I asked her a question I’d never thought to ask before: “Why do you order regular MRIs of my brain, but not of my spine?” Interestingly, within a few days of my exam, a Harvard Med School study was released that addressed a similar question: Is there always a link between the level of physical disability in some MS patients and the…Continue Reading

Kaleidoscopic MRI Art Brings Beauty to Neurological Illness — The Creators Project RSS Feed

Kaleidoscope, Part I. Jameson digitally manipulated MRIs of her own brain to create a collage. All images courtesy of the artist. Elizabeth Jameson wants you to look at her brain. Actually, she wants you to stare at it. Over the last 20 years, she’s chronicled her multiple sclerosis by making vibrant prints of her magnetic… via Kaleidoscopic MRI Art Brings Beauty to Neurological Illness — The Creators Project RSS Feed

What’s an OCT?

OCT was new to me.  When I read, in the MS Connection newsletter, about a test that might show some of what an MRI shows, but without having to slide into that tight tube, I had to investigate further. OCT, or optical coherence tomography, uses light waves to take a picture of your retina.  You’ve probably had one during an eye exam. It’s that test where they put drops in…Continue Reading