Marieke van Rosmalen

Chapter 8 148 Conclusions This thesis aimed to explore the feasibility of qualitative and quantitative MRI in diagnosis, pathophysiology, and prognosis of CIDP and MMN. The value of qualitative brachial plexus MRI in diagnosis of CIDPandMMN can be improved by using a quantitative assessment method. Quantitative assessment is reliable and is able to identify patients who respond to treatment but who would have been missed by nerve conduction studies and nerve ultrasound. Advanced MRI techniques, such as qualitative MRI of the intraspinal roots, provide new information on morphological changes in the cervical intraspinal roots in CIDP and MMN that correspond with functional deficits. Relatively new quantitative MRI techniques, i.e. DTI, T2 mapping and fat fraction analysis, are able to dissect pathophysiology by showing important differences in diffusion parameters between CIDP and MMN. These quantitative MRI techniques have been explored as a biomarker to predict prognosis and treatment response as well but their value as a prognostic instrument is probably low.