Accurate non-invasive quantification of myelin by quantitative magnetic resonance imaging

Accurate non-invasive imaging of myelin is crucial for monitoring demyelinating diseases e.g., multiple sclerosis, and effectiveness of remyelination therapies. Existing quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (QMRI) methods can detect myelin non-invasively, but indirectly, via effects on the local environment or iron content, e.g. diffusion tensor imaging (DTI); magnetization transfer (MT) and multicomponent relaxometry. These QMRI measures correlate to varying degrees with myelin-stained histology and imaging models have been proposed. However, systematic comparison of QMRI and histology is confounded by spatial resolution differences, chemical fixation of the brain and 'rips and tears' and larger distortions from sectioning.
Such issues can be overcome by imaging identical thin brain sections for both QMRI and histology using novel MRI 'micro-coils'. Working with PulseTeq, a manufacturer of MRI coils, such coils will be will be constructed and optimised. Data obtained from brain tissues using these microcoils will allow the exact relationship between myelin and different QMRI measures to be determined. Once the relationship between different QMRI methods with histochemical-based myelin indices has been determined, such knowledge will be extrapolated to applying these QMRI methods in larger brain samples and to the whole brain, using as a test-bed, a demyelination-remyelination (cuprizone) mouse model.