Systems and methods for producing imaging biomarkers indicative of a neurological disease state using gray matter suppressions via double inversion-recovery magnetic resonance imaging

Abstract

Systems and methods related to imaging biomarkers for determining neurological disease states of a subject are provided. In one embodiment, a method for producing an image indicative of a neurological disease using a magnetic resonance imaging ('MRI') system is provided. The method includes directing the MRI system to perform a double inversion-recovery ('DIR') pulse sequence to generate data where signals from gray matter and cerebral spinal fluid are substantially suppressed. The method also includes analyzing the DIR images, reconstructed from the acquired data, to identify cortical and white matter lesions. This includes identifying imaging biomarkers based on visual signatures of brain tissue, including white matter tissue. In some aspects, diffusion-weighted data may also be obtained using the MRI system. Diffusion-weighted data may be used in a tractography process to determine connectivities, or connectivity patterns between the identified lesions, including cortical lesions, to determine neurological disease states of the subject.