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Microstructural maturation of the adult mouse brain.
Naila Rahman1,2, Jake Hamilton1,2, Kathy Xu3,4
1Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping (CFMM), Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
Communications Biology
|November 19, 2025
Summary
Brain maturation involves microstructural changes. New MRI techniques reveal that aging-related increases in diffusional kurtosis are linked to oligodendrocyte populations, not axons.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biophysics
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Diffusion MRI (dMRI) shows brain microstructural remodeling with age.
- Cellular sources of these dMRI changes remain unclear due to limited specificity.
- Understanding aging-related microstructural changes is crucial for neuroscience and clinical applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the biophysical mechanisms behind dMRI changes during mouse brain maturation (3-8 months).
- Utilize advanced dMRI techniques with enhanced microstructural specificity.
- Clarify the cellular contributions to age-related dMRI metric alterations.
Main Methods:
- Employed advanced dMRI techniques with improved microstructural specificity in healthy mice.
- Analyzed brain maturation from 3 to 8 months of age.
- Measured fractional anisotropy, diffusional kurtosis, and myelin-specific MRI metrics.
Main Results:
- Fractional anisotropy, diffusional kurtosis, and myelin-specific MRI metrics increased with age.
- Kurtosis increases were primarily driven by "isotropic kurtosis," while "anisotropic kurtosis" remained stable.
- Increased myelin content and oligodendrocyte density correlated with kurtosis changes.
Conclusions:
- Diffusional kurtosis increases during mouse brain maturation are linked to heterogeneity, partly due to oligodendrocyte population changes.
- These findings suggest that aging-related dMRI changes are not solely driven by axonal alterations.
- This study provides deeper insight into brain maturation microstructures and the biological basis of dMRI contrast.
