Quantifying the contrast of the human locus coeruleus in vivo at 7 Tesla MRI.

ABSTRACT: The locus coeruleus is a small brainstem nucleus which contains neuromelanin cells and is involved in a number of cognitive functions such as attention, arousal and stress, as well as several neurological and psychiatric disorders. Locus coeruleus imaging in vivo is generally performed using a T1-weighted turbo spin echo MRI sequence at 3 Tesla (T). However, imaging at high magnetic field strength can increase the signal-to-noise ratio and offers the possibility of imaging at higher spatial resolution. Therefore, in the present study we explored the possibility of visualizing the locus coeruleus at 7T. To this end, twelve healthy volunteers participated in three scanning sessions: two with 3T MRI and one with 7T MRI. The volumes of the first 3T session were used to segment the locus coerul

SUBMITTER: Tona KD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6364884 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature