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Polarized light imaging of white matter architecture
Author(s) -
Larsen Luiza,
Griffin Lewis D.,
GRäßel David,
Witte Otto W.,
Axer Hubertus
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
microscopy research and technique
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1097-0029
pISSN - 1059-910X
DOI - 10.1002/jemt.20488
Subject(s) - white matter , birefringence , fiber tract , white light , orientation (vector space) , optics , materials science , fiber , physics , magnetic resonance imaging , medicine , mathematics , geometry , radiology , composite material
Polarized light imaging (PLI) is a method to image fiber orientation in gross histological brain sections based on the birefringent properties of the myelin sheaths. The method uses the transmission of polarized light to quantitatively estimate the fiber orientation and inclination angles at every point of the imaged section. Multiple sections can be assembled into a 3D volume, from which the 3D extent of fiber tracts can be extracted. This article describes the physical principles of PLI and describes two major applications of the method: the imaging of white matter orientation of the rat brain and the generation of fiber orientation maps of the human brain in white and gray matter. The strengths and weaknesses of the method are set out. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.