It's the best way for doctors to see any brain changes caused by multiple sclerosis (MS). It can show your neurologist clear signs of inflammation in the deep parts of your brain or spinal cord that are red flags for the condition.
But older people or those with high blood pressure and diabetes also can have the same kinds of spots on a brain MRI. So your doctor will consider other info, including your symptoms, along with the scan results before he or she makes a diagnosis.
Also, an MRI result that says things are normal does not absolutely rule out MS. About 5% of people with multiple sclerosis don’t have lesions in the brain that show up on the test. They may have them in places that the scan can’t show.