Research report 2009 - Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences
Microstructures in the Living Brain: Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Myelin Sheath
Authors
Labadie, Christian; Möller, Harald E.
Departments
MPI für Kognitions- und Neurowissenschaften, Leipzig
Summary
Nerve fibers of vertebrates are enveloped by a lamellar membrane sheath referred to as myelin. Myelin acts as an electrical insulator and is of fundamental importance for the nerve conduction. By use of relaxographic magnetic resonance imaging, it is feasible to obtain spatial information about the myelin sheath through the observation of intercalated water molecules. This leads to a novel modality for microstructural investigations of the living brain.