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Is multicomponent T 2 a good measure of myelin content in peripheral nerve?
Author(s) -
Webb Stephanie,
Munro Catherine A.,
Midha Rajiv,
Stanisz Greg J.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
magnetic resonance in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.696
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1522-2594
pISSN - 0740-3194
DOI - 10.1002/mrm.10411
Subject(s) - myelin , wallerian degeneration , remyelination , sciatic nerve , myelin sheath , relaxation (psychology) , chemistry , peripheral nerve , pathology , neuroscience , nuclear magnetic resonance , anatomy , biology , medicine , central nervous system , physics
Multicomponent T 2 relaxation of normal and injured rat sciatic nerve was measured. The T 2 relaxation was multiexponential, indicating the multicompartmental nature of T 2 decay in nerve tissue. The size of the short, observed T 2 component correlated very well with quantitative assessment of myelin using computer‐assisted histopathological image analysis of myelin. Specifically, the size of the short T 2 component reflected the processes of myelin loss and remyelination accompanying Wallerian degeneration and regeneration following trauma. However, it represented all myelin present in the sample and did not distinguish between intact myelin and myelin debris. Other changes in T 2 spectra were also observed and could be correlated with axonal loss and inflammation. The study also questions the validity of previously offered interpretations of T 2 spectra of nerve. Magn Reson Med 49:638–645, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.