title: A Method for Whole BrainEx VivoMagnetic Resonance Imaging with Minimal Susceptibility Artifacts.
abstract: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non-destructive technique that is capable of localizing pathologies and assessing other anatomical features (e.g., tissue volume, microstructure, and white matter connectivity) in postmortem,ex vivohuman brains. However, when brains are removed from the skull and cerebrospinal fluid (i.e., their normalin vivomagnetic environment), air bubbles and air-tissue interfaces typically cause magnetic susceptibility artifacts that severely degrade the quality ofex vivoMRI data. In this report, we describe a relatively simple and cost-effective experimental setup for acquiring artifact-freeex vivobrain images using a clinical MRI system with standard hardware. In particular, we outline the necessary steps, from collecting anex vivohuman brain to the MRI scanner setup, and have also described changing the formalin (as might be necessary in longitudinal postmortem studies). Finally, we share some representativeex vivoMRI images that have been acquired using the proposed setup in order to demonstrate the efficacy of this approach. We hope that this protocol will provide both clinicians and researchers with a straight-forward and cost-effective solution for acquiringex vivoMRI data from whole postmortem human brains.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada; Neuroscience Research Program, Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre, Kleysen Institute for Advanced Medicine, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
authors.forename: Anwar S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Shatil
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada; Department of Pathology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
authors.forename: Kant M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada; Neuroscience Research Program, Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre, Kleysen Institute for Advanced Medicine, Winnipeg, MB, Canada; Department of Radiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada; Division of Diagnostic Imaging, Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg, MB, Canada; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Chase R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Figley
keywords: MRI; ex vivo; fixation; formalin; human brain; neuroimaging; postmortem