title: Enhanced adult neurogenesis increases brain stiffness: in vivo magnetic resonance elastography in a mouse model of dopamine depletion.
abstract: The mechanical network of the brain is a major contributor to neural health and has been recognized by in vivo magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) to be highly responsive to diseases. However, until now only brain softening was observed and no mechanism was known that reverses the common decrement of neural elasticity during aging or disease. We used MRE in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine hydrochloride (MPTP) mouse model for dopaminergic neurodegeneration as observed in Parkinson's disease (PD) to study the mechanical response of the brain on adult hippocampal neurogenesis as a robust correlate of neuronal plasticity in healthy and injured brain. We observed a steep transient rise in elasticity within the hippocampal region of up to over 50% six days after MPTP treatment correlating with increased neuronal density in the dentate gyrus, which could not be detected in healthy controls. Our results provide the first indication that new neurons reactively generated following neurodegeneration substantially contribute to the mechanical scaffold of the brain. Diagnostic neuroimaging may thus target on regions of the brain displaying symptomatically elevated elasticity values for the detection of neuronal plasticity following neurodegeneration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Elisabeth G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Hain
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Informatics, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Juergen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Riek
authors.affiliation: Center for Stroke Research Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Steiner
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Ingolf
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sack
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004298:Dopamine / Q000172:deficiency*; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques; D005260:Female; D020267:MPTP Poisoning / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D055495:Neurogenesis; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D004298:Dopamine