In vivo visualization of myelin water in brain by magnetic resonance

✍ Scribed by Alex Mackay; Kenneth Whittall; Julian Adler; David Li; Donald Paty; Douglas Graeb

• Book ID: 102956565
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1994
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 597 KB
• Volume: 31
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0740-3194
• DOI: 10.1002/mrm.1910310614

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

We exploit the intrinsic difference in magnetic resonance spin‐spin relaxation time, T~2~, between water associated with myelin sheaths and water in other central nervous system tissue in order to measure myelin water content within any region of an image or to generate indirectly a myelin map of the brain. In normal volunteers, myelin water maps give the expected myelin distribution. In multiple sclerosis patients, lesions exhibit different myelin water contents providing insight into the de‐myelination process unavailable from conventional magnetic resonance images. In vivo myelin measurement has important applications in the clinical management of multiple sclerosis and other white matter diseases.