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Updated: Jul 1, 2026
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Published on: February 19, 2021
Monitoring demyelination and remyelination by magnetization transfer imaging in the mouse brain at 9.4 T
Wafaa Zaaraoui1, Mathilde Deloire, Michel Merle
1Résonance Magnétique des Systèmes Biologiques, UMR5536 CNRS/Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux 2, 146 rue Léo Saignat Case 93, 33076, Bordeaux Cedex, France. wzaaraoui@hotmail.com
Objective:
The aim of this study was to assess quantitatively structural changes in myelin content occurring during demyelination and remyelination by magnetization transfer imaging (MTI).
Materials And Methods:
In a reversible model of demyelination with no axonal loss, mice intoxicated by cuprizone were studied by MTI in vivo at 9.4 T. MRI data were compared to histopathological examinations.
Results:
Data revealed that the magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) decreased significantly during demyelination and increased during remyelination with strong correlation to the myelin content (r=0.79, P=0.01).
Conclusions:
This study demonstrated that MTR is a sensitive and reproducible quantitative marker to assess myelin loss and repair. This may lead to in vivo monitoring of therapeutic strategies promoting remyelination.
