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3T MRI Whole-Brain Microscopy Discrimination of Subcortical Anatomy, Part 1: Brain Stem
M J Hoch1, M T Bruno2, A Faustin3
1From the Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences (M.J.H.), Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
AJNR. American Journal of Neuroradiology
|February 2, 2019
Summary
Optimized MRI techniques reveal detailed brain stem anatomy in postmortem samples, offering a valuable resource for understanding complex neural pathways and aiding clinical training.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Anatomy
- Postmortem Studies
Background:
- The brain stem contains vital structures that are challenging to visualize with conventional MRI.
- Pathologies affecting the brain stem are common but difficult to resolve on standard imaging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and apply an optimized TSE T2 sequence for high-contrast brain stem imaging.
- To create a reproducible MR imaging-based atlas of brain stem anatomy.
Main Methods:
- Washed postmortem brain samples were imaged using an optimized TSE T2 sequence on clinical 3T MRI systems.
- Multiplanar and oblique imaging planes were utilized to visualize 3D structures and pathways.
- Acquisition times were optimized for resource efficiency.
Main Results:
- Exquisite and reproducible MR imaging contrast of brain stem anatomy was achieved, comparable to histologic atlases.
- Most brain stem structures were identified at 7 canonical axial levels.
- 3D visualization of white matter pathways and their spatial relationships was enabled, with potential for quantitative analysis of pathway asymmetries.
Conclusions:
- Multiplanar MRI contrast offers advantages over traditional atlases for learning and retaining brain stem anatomy.
- This TSE MRI sequence can validate other MRI contrasts like diffusion tractography.
- The generated imaging data can serve as a structural template for future quantitative MRI investigations.
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