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$X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples$ 01:10

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Updated: Jun 11, 2025

A Micro-CT-based Method for Characterizing Lesions and Locating Electrodes in Small Animal Brains

A Micro-CT-based Method for Characterizing Lesions and Locating Electrodes in Small Animal Brains

Published on: November 8, 2018

Characterization of sub-micrometre-sized voids in fixed human brain tissue using scanning X-ray microdiffraction.

Prakash Nepal¹, Abdullah A Bashit², Lee Makowski^1,3

¹Department of Bioengineering Northeastern University Boston MA02115 USA.

Journal of Applied Crystallography

|October 10, 2024

Summary

Researchers used X-ray microdiffraction to study Alzheimer's brain tissue, revealing distinct structures at different scales. They identified sub-micrometre voids formed during dehydration, impacting both small-angle (SAXS) and wide-angle (WAXS) scattering patterns.

Keywords:

SAXS WAXS X-ray microdiffraction in situ structural studies neurodegenerative diseases small-angle X-ray scattering wide-angle X-ray scattering

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Biophysics
Materials Science

Background:

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive brain tissue degradation.
Understanding tissue structural changes at the nanoscale is crucial for disease research.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the distinct nanoscale structures within fixed human brain tissue from Alzheimer's subjects using X-ray microdiffraction.
To correlate small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) patterns with tissue morphology.

Main Methods:

Scanning X-ray microdiffraction was performed on thin sections of fixed human brain tissue.
Data was collected in both small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) regimes.
Scattering intensity data was analyzed for correlations and power-law behavior.

Main Results:

SAXS and WAXS intensities showed no correlation, indicating distinct underlying structures.
SAXS scattering followed a power-law behavior, with slope related to SAXS and inversely to WAXS intensity.
These findings suggest the presence of sub-micrometre voids formed during tissue dehydration.

Conclusions:

Sub-micrometre voids, likely formed during dehydration, are a significant feature in Alzheimer's brain tissue.
SAXS scattering is attributed to these voids, while WAXS scattering originates from surrounding macromolecular structures.
Detecting and mapping these voids offers a novel approach to studying neurodegenerative disease progression.