Diffusion tensor MRI is sensitive to the coherent structure of brain tissue and is commonly used to study large-scale white matter structure. Diffusion in gray matter is more isotropic, however, several groups have observed coherent patterns of diffusion anisotropy within the cerebral cortical gray matter. We extend the study of cortical diffusion anisotropy by relating it to the local coordinate system of the folded cerebral cortex.
PURPOSE: To detect adoptively transferred immune attack in a mouse model of islet cell transplantation by using a long-circulating paramagnetic T1 contrast agent, a protected graft copolymer (PGC) that is covalently linked to gadolinium-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid with fluorescein isothiocyanate (Gd-DTPA-F), which accumulates in the sites of inflammation that are characterized by vascular disruption.
Many successful segmentation algorithms are based on Bayesian models in which prior anatomical knowledge is combined with the available image information. However, these methods typically have many free parameters that are estimated to obtain point estimates only, whereas a faithful Bayesian analysis would also consider all possible alternate values these parameters may take. In this paper, we propose to incorporate the uncertainty of the free parameters in Bayesian segmentation models more accurately by using Monte Carlo sampling.
A June 12th post on Boston's WBUR's website highlighted images showing some of the cutting-edge techniques scientists are using to explore the trillions of connections between the neurons in the human brain. Among them: A map of nerve fibers obtained by the the Martinos Center's Zeynep Saygin.
Here, we describe the synthesis of the single amino acid chelator DOTAlaP and four of its derivatives. The corresponding gadolinium(III) complexes were investigated for their kinetic inertness, relaxometric properties at a range of fields and temperatures, water exchange rate, and interaction with human serum albumin (HSA). Derivatives with one inner-sphere water (q = 1) were determined to have a mean water residency time between 8 and 6 ns in phoshate-buffered saline at 37 °C.
In a recent Current Biology paper, the Martinos Center's Wim Vanduffel and colleagues report that artificially stimulating a brain region believed to play a key role in learning, reward and motivation induced monkeys to change which of two images they choose to look at.
Striking images by the Martinos Center's Bruce Fischl and colleagues are helping to shed light on the origins of brain disorders including schizophrenia and autism.
The Harvard Crimson has published a touching obituary for Jack Belliveau, with colleagues and former students and fellows explaining the impact Jack had both on their own careers and on the MRI community as a whole.