Whole Brain MRI Assessment of Age and Sex-Related R2* Changes in the Human Fetal Brain.

ABSTRACT: Iron in the brain is essential to neurodevelopmental processes, as it supports neural functions, including processes of oxygen delivery, electron transport, and enzymatic activity. However, the development of brain iron before birth is scarcely understood. By estimating R2* (1/T2*) relaxometry from a sizable sample of fetal multiecho echo-planar imaging (EPI) scans, which is the standard sequence for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), across gestation, this study investigates age and sex-related changes in iron, across regions and tissue segments. Our findings reveal that brain R2* levels significantly increase throughout gestation spanning many different regions, except the frontal lobe. Furthermore, females exhibit a faster rate of R2* increase compared to males, in both gray

SUBMITTER: Ji L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11754245 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature