Assessment of myelination in infants and young children by T1 relaxation time measurements using the magnetization-prepared 2 rapid acquisition gradient echoes sequence.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Axonal myelination is an important maturation process in the developing brain. Increasing myelin content correlates with the longitudinal relaxation rate (R1=1/T1) in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Objective

By using magnetization-prepared 2 rapid acquisition gradient echoes (MP2RAGE) on a 3-T MRI system, we provide R1 values and myelination rates for infants and young children.

Materials and methods

Average R1 values in white and grey matter regions in 94 children without pathological MRI findings (age range: 3 months to 6 years) were measured and fitted by a saturating-exponential growth model. For comparison, R1 values of 36 children with different brain pathologies are presented. The findings were related to a qualitative evaluation using T2, magneti

SUBMITTER: Kuhne F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8476383 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature