Addressing ultra highfield MRI challenges in ex-vivo

Farhat, Nadim; Jin, Heching; Santini, Tales; Martins, Tiago; Berardinelli, Jacob; Schweitzer, Noah; Alkhateeb, Salem; Ikonomović, Miloš D.; Kofler, Julia; Mettenburg, Joseph; Aizenstein, Howard; Ibrahim, Tamer S.

doi:10.58530/2022/4846

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Over the past years, our team has developed a standardized protocol for brain embedding, imaging, and processing. Additionally, we have designed a 3D-printed brain container with tailored cutting guides for postmortem imaging [1][2][3]. Utilizing both first [4][5][6] and second [7,8] generation of Tic-Tac-Toe head coil radiofrequency system for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 7 Tesla (7T), we have successfully scanned over a hundred brains, generating a substantial volume of high-resolution postmortem imaging data within the University of Pittsburgh.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Correlating hippocampal and amygdala volumes with neuropathological burden in neurodegenerative diseases using 7T postmortem MRI

Liou,

Li,

Berardinelli

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Numerous research groups worldwide have focused on postmortem imaging to bridge the resolution gap between clinical neuroimaging and neuropathology data. We developed a standardized protocol for brain embedding, imaging, and processing, facilitating alignment between antemortem MRI, postmortem MRI, and pathology to observe brain atrophy and structural damage progression over time. Using 7T postmortem ex vivo MRI, we explore the potential correlation of amygdala and hippocampal atrophy with neuropathological burden in both Down syndrome (DS) and Alzheimers disease (AD) cohorts. Using 7T postmortem ex vivo MRI scans from 66 cases (12 DS and 54 AD) alongside a subset of antemortem scans (n=17), we correlated manually segmented hippocampal and amygdala volumes, adjusted for age, sex, and ApoE4 status, with pathological indicators such as Thal phase, Braak stage, limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE) stage, hippocampal sclerosis (HS), and Lewy body (LB) stage. Although a significant correlation between postmortem and antemortem volumes was found for the hippocampus, a similar trend observed for the amygdala did not reach statistical significance. DS individuals exhibited notably smaller hippocampal and amygdala volumes compared to AD subjects. In DS, lower hippocampal and amygdala volumes correlated with more severe Braak stage, without significant associations with Thal phase. LATE and HS pathologies were uncommon in DS cases but trended toward smaller hippocampal volumes. In AD, lower hippocampal volume associated with dementia duration, advanced Thal phase, Braak stage, LATE stage, and HS presence, whereas reduced amygdala volume correlated mainly with severe LATE stage and HS, but not with Thal or Braak stages. No significant LB correlation was detected in either DS or AD cohorts. Hippocampal volume in AD appears influenced by both AD and LATE pathologies, while amygdala volume seems primarily influenced by LATE. In DS, smaller hippocampal volume, relative to AD, appears primarily influenced by tau pathology.

show abstract