Use of MRI for measuring structures in frozen postmortem brain

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Pathology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Long-term storage of human autopsy brains at -70°C presents challenges for traditional imaging techniques.
• Limited proton mobility at low temperatures results in minimal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signals.
• Developing methods to image preserved brain tissue is crucial for post-mortem neuropathological and molecular studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a reliable method for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of human autopsy brains stored long-term at -70°C.
• To optimize scanning parameters for improved image quality and morphometric data acquisition from preserved brain tissue.
• To validate the developed MRI method through quantitative analysis of brain volume and area.

Main Methods:

• A novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol was developed for human autopsy brains preserved at -70°C.
• Brain samples were scanned at varying temperatures to determine optimal conditions for signal generation.
• Computerized image analysis was employed to measure brain volume and area from digital images of 14 adult subjects.

Main Results:

• Scanning at low temperatures (-70°C to -8°C) yielded minimal MRI signals due to restricted proton movement.
• Optimal MRI signals and image quality, including good resolution and grey/white matter contrast, were achieved at -1°C.
• Quantitative analysis confirmed an inverse correlation between brain volume and age, with female subjects exhibiting smaller brain volumes.

Conclusions:

• The developed MRI method allows for high-resolution imaging and morphometric analysis of long-term preserved human autopsy brains.
• This technique provides valuable data from previously inaccessible pathological specimens for neurochemical and molecular investigations.
• The findings demonstrate the feasibility of using preserved brain tissue for detailed neuropathological research.