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In vivo visualization of myelin water in brain by magnetic resonance
Author(s) -
Mackay Alex,
Whittall Kenneth,
Adler Julian,
Li David,
Paty Donald,
Graeb Douglas
Publication year - 1994
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.1910310614
Subject(s) - myelin , multiple sclerosis , magnetic resonance imaging , white matter , nuclear magnetic resonance , t2 relaxation , in vivo , central nervous system , chemistry , pathology , neuroscience , biology , medicine , physics , radiology , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology
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.