I was stitting here wondering what Chris was saying , when suddenly I realized he is talking about T1/T2 brain lesions . . . and I was talking about the "T" lesions of the spinal cord.

He is right that if you meant any old "T2" lesions, apparent in our MRI's of the brain . . . they most often do not correlate to symptoms specifically.

I answered to lesions in the "2" spot on the Thoracic spinal cord (also referred to as a "T2" lesion) . . . and they do correlate quite accurately with symptoms.

Assuming now from your last response that you mean brain lesions . . .

The active lesions that are 'inflammed' will "enhance" when they use the dye. Even if they are 'older' (T2) lesions that are active again, they still refer to them as "enhancing" lesions (IF they are enhancing again on our MRI).

T2 lesions are the old more "permanent" lesions, that have left plaque, and are not enhancing when they refer to them. They can be exactly the same in the next MRI, or they may have shrunk or grown.

Enhancing lesions usually mean they are "active", and that could indicate you are in an attack. Sometimes they just enhance and you aren't in an attack too . . . and/or sometimes nothing shows as enhancing and you are in an attack . . . but generally speaking, the enhancing one's are what we take the meds for; to "turn out the lights". Hopefully that may also lead to less T2 NON-enhancing lesions (the more permanent type) in the longer run.

Once there is damage (lesions of any kind) in the brain or spine, we can get ongoing symptoms from that lesion. They haven't specifically tied brain lesions with symptoms in the same way as spinal lesions with symptoms . . . but sometimes they try to.

Does that make more sense?

(Thanks Chris . . . I would never have thought of the "other" T2 lesions, as I am a spinal lesion gal. ).

Cherie