Multi-parametric MRI can detect enhanced myelination in the Gli1-/-mouse brain

Abstract

AbstractPurposeThe ability of MRI-based markers to detect myelin in the brain is limited. This study investigated the potential of combining multiple MRI markers, each targeting distinct myelin properties, to improve myelin characterization.MethodsWe acquired ex vivo multiparametric MRI data at 7 Tesla from control and Gli1−/−mouse brains at postnatal day 10 (P10), which exhibits enhanced myelination in the corpus callosum, followed by myelin basic protein (MBP) stained immunohistochemistry.ResultsAlthough most MRI markers included in this study showed significant differences in the corpus callosum between control and Gli1−/−, only fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and T2had strong correlations with MBP signals. Partial least square regression (PSLR) based on MRI and MBP values from white matter regions suggested that T2had the highest contributions to myelin estimation. When both white and gray matter regions were included, inhomogeneous MT ratio and FA showed strong contributions.ConclusionThis study demonstrates the efficacy of multi-parametric MRI in detecting enhanced myelination in the Gli1-/-mouse brain. T2and diffusion MRI parameters showed strong correlation with MBP signals in the genu of the corpus callosum at P10. The contribution of individual MRI parameter for detecting myelin can be evaluated using PLSR.