High Angular Resolution Diffusion MRI Reveals Conserved and Deviant Programs in the Paths that Guide Human Cortical Circuitry.

Diffusion magnetic resonance (MR) tractography represents a novel opportunity to investigate conserved and deviant developmental programs between humans and other species such as mice. To that end, we acquired high angular resolution diffusion MR scans of mice [embryonic day (E) 10.5 to postnatal week 4] and human brains [gestational week (GW) 17-30] at successive stages of fetal development to investigate potential evolutionary changes in radial organization and emerging pathways between humans and mice. We compare radial glial development as well as commissural development (e.g., corpus callosum), primarily because our findings can be integrated with previous work. We also compare corpus callosal growth trajectories across primates (i.e., humans and rhesus macaques) and rodents (i.e., mice). One major finding is that the developing cortex of humans is predominated by pathways likely associated with a radial glial organization at GW 17-20, which is not as evident in age-matched mice (E 16.5, 17.5). Another finding is that, early in development, the corpus callosum follows a similar developmental timetable in primates (i.e., macaques and humans) as in mice. However, the corpus callosum grows for an extended period of time in primates compared with rodents. Taken together, these findings highlight deviant developmental programs underlying the emergence of cortical pathways in the human brain.

Regional variation of white matter development in the cat brain revealed by ex vivo diffusion MR tractography.

Three-dimensional reconstruction of developing fiber pathways is essential to assessing the developmental course of fiber pathways in the whole brain. We applied diffusion spectrum imaging (DSI) tractography to five juvenile ex vivo cat brains at postnatal day (P) 35, when the degree of myelination varies across brain regions. We quantified diffusion properties (fractional anisotropy [FA] and apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC]) and other measurements (number, volume, and voxel count) on reconstructed pathways for projection (cortico-spinal and thalamo-cortical), corpus callosal, limbic (cingulum and fornix), and association (cortico-cortical) pathways, and characterized regional differences in maturation patterns by assessing diffusion properties. FA values were significantly higher in cortico-cortical pathways within the right hemisphere compared to those within the left hemisphere, while the other measurements for the cortico-cortical pathways within the hemisphere did not show asymmetry. ADC values were not asymmetric in both types of pathways. Interestingly, tract count and volume were significantly larger in the left thalamo-cortical pathways compared to the right thalamo-cortical pathways. The bilateral thalamo-cortical pathways showed high FA values compared to the other fiber pathways. On the other hand, ADC values did not show any differences across pathways studied. These results demonstrate that DSI tractography successfully depicted regional variations of white matter tracts during development when myelination is incomplete. Low FA and high ADC values in the cingulum bundle suggest that the cingulum bundle is less mature than the others at this developmental stage.

Adult axolotls can regenerate original neuronal diversity in response to brain injury.

The axolotl can regenerate multiple organs, including the brain. It remains, however, unclear whether neuronal diversity, intricate tissue architecture, and axonal connectivity can be regenerated; yet, this is critical for recovery of function and a central aim of cell replacement strategies in the mammalian central nervous system. Here, we demonstrate that, upon mechanical injury to the adult pallium, axolotls can regenerate several of the populations of neurons present before injury. Notably, regenerated neurons acquire functional electrophysiological traits and respond appropriately to afferent inputs. Despite the ability to regenerate specific, molecularly-defined neuronal subtypes, we also uncovered previously unappreciated limitations by showing that newborn neurons organize within altered tissue architecture and fail to re-establish the long-distance axonal tracts and circuit physiology present before injury. The data provide a direct demonstration that diverse, electrophysiologically functional neurons can be regenerated in axolotls, but challenge prior assumptions of functional brain repair in regenerative species.

High Resolution MRI Reveals Detailed Layer Structures in Early Human Fetal Stages: In Vitro Study with Histologic Correlation.

An understanding of normal fetal brain development is essential in detecting the early onset of brain disorders. It is challenging to obtain high-quality images that show detailed local anatomy in the early fetal stages because the fetal brain is very small with rapidly-changing complex structures related to brain development, including neurogenesis, neuronal migration, and axonal elongation. Previous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies detected three layers throughout the fetal cerebral wall that showed differences in MR contrasts at 10 gestational weeks (GW), which is one of the earliest ages studied using MRI. Contrary to the MRI studies, histological studies found more layers at this fetal age. The purpose of this work is to study the development of brain structures from an early fetal period to an early second trimester stage using ex vivo MRI and compare it to histology. Special attention was paid to laminar structures in the cerebral wall. T2-weighted imaging was performed on fetal brain specimens ranging from 10 GW to 18 GW on a 4.7 tesla MR scanner. We obtained standard grayscale as well as color-coded images using weighted red-green-blue scales, and compared them with the histological images. Our study confirmed laminar structure in the cerebral wall in all the fetal specimens studied. We found that MRI detected four layers within the cerebral wall as early as 10 GW during the early fetal period (10-13 GW). Early second trimester (15-18 GW) was characterized by the emergence of subplate structures and five layers within the cerebral wall. The color-coded images were more useful than the standard grayscale images in detecting the laminar structures. Scans with appropriate parameters from a high tesla MR scanner showed detailed laminar structures even through a very small and thin cerebral wall at 10 GW ex vivo. A combination of high-resolution structural imaging and color-coding processing with histological analysis may be a potential tool for studying detailed structures of typical developing fetal brains, as well as fetal brains with developmental disorders as references for clinical MRI.

Microstructural impact of ischemia and bone marrow-derived cell therapy revealed with diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging tractography of the heart in vivo.

BACKGROUND: The arrangement of myofibers in the heart is highly complex and must be replicated by injected cells to produce functional myocardium. A novel approach to characterize the microstructural response of the myocardium to ischemia and cell therapy, with the use of serial diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging tractography of the heart in vivo, is presented. METHODS AND RESULTS: Validation of the approach was performed in normal (n=6) and infarcted mice (n=6) as well as healthy human volunteers. Mice (n=12) were then injected with bone marrow mononuclear cells 3 weeks after coronary ligation. In half of the mice the donor and recipient strains were identical, and in half the strains were different. A positive response to cell injection was defined by a decrease in mean diffusivity, an increase in fractional anisotropy, and the appearance of new myofiber tracts with the correct orientation. A positive response to bone marrow mononuclear cell injection was seen in 1 mouse. The response of the majority of mice to bone marrow mononuclear cell injection was neutral (9/12) or negative (2/12). The in vivo tractography findings were confirmed with histology. CONCLUSIONS: Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging tractography was able to directly resolve the ability of injected cells to generate new myofiber tracts and provided a fundamental readout of their regenerative capacity. A highly novel and translatable approach to assess the efficacy of cell therapy in the heart is thus presented.

GLP-1R-targeting magnetic nanoparticles for pancreatic islet imaging.

Noninvasive assessment of pancreatic ß-cell mass would tremendously aid in managing type 1 diabetes (T1D). Toward this goal, we synthesized an exendin-4 conjugated magnetic iron oxide-based nanoparticle probe targeting glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R), which is highly expressed on the surface of pancreatic ß-cells. In vitro studies in ßTC-6, the ß-cell line, showed specific accumulation of the targeted probe (termed MN-Ex10-Cy5.5) compared with nontargeted (termed MN-Cy5.5). In vivo magnetic resonance imaging showed a significant transverse relaxation time (T2) shortening in the pancreata of mice injected with the MN-Ex10-Cy5.5 probe compared with control animals injected with the nontargeted probe at 7.5 and 24 h after injection. Furthermore, ΔT2 of the pancreata of prediabetic NOD mice was significantly higher than that of diabetic NOD mice after the injection of MN-Ex10-Cy5.5, indicating the decrease of probe accumulation in these animals due to ß-cell loss. Of note, ΔT2 of prediabetic and diabetic NOD mice injected with MN-Cy5.5 was not significantly changed, reflecting the nonspecific mode of accumulation of nontargeted probe. We believe our results point to the potential for using this agent for monitoring the disease development and response of T1D to therapy.

Molecular magnetic resonance imaging of pulmonary fibrosis in mice.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic, progressive, fibrosing interstitial pneumonia of unknown cause resulting in dyspnea and functional decline until death. There are currently no effective noninvasive tools to monitor disease progression and response to treatment. The objective of the present study was to determine whether molecular magnetic resonance imaging of the lung using a probe targeted to type I collagen could provide a direct, noninvasive method for assessment of pulmonary fibrosis in a mouse model. Pulmonary fibrosis was generated in mice by transtracheal instillation of bleomycin (BM). Six cohorts were imaged before and immediately after intravenous administration of molecular imaging probe: (1) BM plus collagen-targeted probe, EP-3533; (2) sham plus EP-3533; (3) BM plus nonbinding control probe, EP-3612; (4) sham plus EP-3612; (5) BM plus EP-3533 imaged early; and (6) BM plus EP-3533 imaged late. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) enhancement was quantified in the lungs and muscle. Lung tissue was subjected to pathologic scoring of fibrosis and analyzed for gadolinium and hydroxyproline. BM-treated mice had 35% higher lung collagen than sham mice (P < 0.0001). The SNR increase in the lungs of fibrotic mice after EP-3533 administration was twofold higher than in sham animals and twofold higher than in fibrotic or sham mice that received control probe, EP-3612 (P < 0.0001). The SNR increase in muscle was similar for all cohorts. For EP-3533, we observed a strong, positive, linear correlation between lung SNR increase and hydroxyproline levels (r = 0.72). Collagen-targeted probe EP-3533-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging specifically detects pulmonary fibrosis in a mouse model of disease.

Diffusion MRI tractography of the developing human fetal heart.

OBJECTIVE: Human myocardium has a complex and anisotropic 3D fiber pattern. It remains unknown, however, when in fetal life this anisotropic pattern develops and whether the human heart is structurally fully mature at birth. We aimed here to use diffusion tensor MRI (DTI) tractography to characterize the evolution of fiber architecture in the developing human fetal heart. METHODS: Human fetal hearts (n = 5) between 10-19 weeks of gestation were studied. The heart from a 6-day old neonate and an adult human heart served as controls. The degree of myocardial anisotropy was measured by calculating the fractional anisotropy (FA) index. In addition, fiber tracts were created by numerically integrating the primary eigenvector field in the heart into coherent streamlines. RESULTS: At 10-14 weeks the fetal hearts were highly isotropic and few tracts could be resolved. Between 14-19 weeks the anisotropy seen in the adult heart began to develop. Coherent fiber tracts were well resolved by 19 weeks. The 19-week myocardium, however, remained weakly anisotropic with a low FA and no discernable sheet structure. CONCLUSIONS: The human fetal heart remains highly isotropic until 14-19 weeks, at which time cardiomyocytes self-align into coherent tracts. This process lags 2-3 months behind the onset of cardiac contraction, which may be a prerequisite for cardiomyocyte maturation and alignment. No evidence of a connective tissue scaffold guiding this process could be identified by DTI. Maturation of the heart's sheet structure occurs late in gestation and evolves further after birth.

Classification of coronary atherosclerotic plaques ex vivo with T1, T2, and ultrashort echo time CMR.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to determine whether the classification of human coronary atherosclerotic plaques with T1, T2, and ultrashort echo time (UTE) cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) would correlate well with atherosclerotic plaque classification by histology. BACKGROUND: CMR has been extensively used to classify carotid plaque, but its ability to characterize coronary plaque remains unknown. In addition, the detection of plaque calcification by CMR remains challenging. Here, we used T1, T2, and UTE CMR to evaluate atherosclerotic plaques in fixed post-mortem human coronary arteries. We hypothesized that the combination of T1, T2, and UTE CMR would allow both calcified and lipid-rich coronary plaques to be accurately detected. METHODS: Twenty-eight plaques from human donor hearts with proven coronary artery disease were imaged at 9.4-T with a T1-weighted 3-dimensional fast low-angle shot (FLASH) sequence (250-µm resolution), a T2-weighted rapid acquisition with refocused echoes (RARE) sequence (in-plane resolution 0.156 mm), and an UTE sequence (300-µm resolution). Plaques showing selective hypointensity on T2-weighted CMR were classified as lipid-rich. Areas of hypointensity on the T1-weighted images, but not the UTE images, were classified as calcified. Hyperintensity on the T1-weighted and UTE images was classified as hemorrhage. Following CMR, histological characterization of the plaques was performed with a pentachrome stain and established American Heart Association criteria. RESULTS: CMR showed high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of calcification (100% and 90%, respectively) and lipid-rich necrotic cores (90% and 75%, respectively). Only 2 lipid-rich foci were missed by CMR, both of which were extremely small. Overall, CMR-based classification of plaque was in complete agreement with the histological classification in 22 of 28 cases (weighted κ = 0.6945, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The utilization of UTE CMR allows plaque calcification in the coronary arteries to be robustly detected. High-resolution CMR with T1, T2, and UTE contrast enables accurate classification of human coronary atherosclerotic plaque.

Immune rejection after pancreatic islet cell transplantation: in vivo dual contrast-enhanced MR imaging in a mouse model.

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. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All animal experiments were performed in compliance with institutional guidelines and approved by the subcommittee on research animal care. Six nonobese diabetic severe combined immunodeficiency mice received transplanted human islet cells under the kidney capsule and adoptively transferred 5 × 10(6) splenocytes from 6-week-old nonobese diabetic mice. These mice also served as control subjects for comparison of pre- and postadoptive transfer MR imaging results. Mice that received phosphate-buffered saline solution only were included as nonadoptive-transfer control subjects (n = 2). In vivo magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was performed before and 17 hours after intravenous injections of PGC-Gd-DTPA-F, followed by histologic examination. Statistical differences were analyzed by means of a paired Student t test and repeated two-way analysis of variance. RESULTS: MR imaging results showed significantly greater accumulation of PGC-Gd-DTPA-F in the graft area after immune attack initiated by adoptive transfer of splenocytes compared with that of the same area before the transfer (T1, 137.2 msec ± 39.3 and 239.5 msec ± 17.6, respectively; P < .001). These results were confirmed at histologic examination, which showed considerable leakage of the contrast agent into the islet cell interstitium. CONCLUSION: PGC-Gd-DTPA-F-enhanced MR imaging allows for the in vivo assessment of vascular damage of the graft T cell challenge.

Dynamic monitoring of blood-brain barrier integrity using water exchange index (WEI) during mannitol and CO2 challenges in mouse brain.

The integrity of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is critical to normal brain function. Traditional techniques for the assessment of BBB disruption rely heavily on the spatiotemporal analysis of extravasating contrast agents. However, such methods based on the leakage of relatively large molecules are not suitable for the detection of subtle BBB impairment or for the performance of repeated measurements in a short time frame. Quantification of the water exchange rate constant (WER) across the BBB using strictly intravascular contrast agents could provide a much more sensitive method for the quantification of the BBB integrity. To estimate WER, we have recently devised a powerful new method using a water exchange index (WEI) biomarker and demonstrated BBB disruption in an acute stroke model. Here, we confirm that WEI is sensitive to even very subtle changes in the integrity of the BBB caused by: (i) systemic hypercapnia and (ii) low doses of a hyperosmolar solution. In addition, we have examined the sensitivity and accuracy of WEI as a biomarker of WER using computer simulation. In particular, the dependence of the WEI-WER relation on changes in vascular blood volume, T1 relaxation of cellular magnetization and transcytolemmal water exchange was explored. Simulated WEI was found to vary linearly with WER for typically encountered exchange rate constants (1-4 Hz), regardless of the blood volume. However, for very high WER (>5 Hz), WEI became progressively more insensitive to increasing WER. The incorporation of transcytolemmal water exchange, using a three-compartment tissue model, helped to extend the linear WEI regime to slightly higher WER, but had no significant effect for most physiologically important WERs (WER < 4 Hz). Variation in cellular T1 had no effect on WEI. Using both theoretical and experimental approaches, our study validates the utility of the WEI biomarker for the monitoring of BBB integrity.

Improved diffusion imaging through SNR-enhancing joint reconstruction.

Quantitative diffusion imaging is a powerful technique for the characterization of complex tissue microarchitecture. However, long acquisition times and limited signal-to-noise ratio represent significant hurdles for many in vivo applications. This article presents a new approach to reduce noise while largely maintaining resolution in diffusion weighted images, using a statistical reconstruction method that takes advantage of the high level of structural correlation observed in typical datasets. Compared to existing denoising methods, the proposed method performs reconstruction directly from the measured complex k-space data, allowing for gaussian noise modeling and theoretical characterizations of the resolution and signal-to-noise ratio of the reconstructed images. In addition, the proposed method is compatible with many different models of the diffusion signal (e.g., diffusion tensor modeling and q-space modeling). The joint reconstruction method can provide significant improvements in signal-to-noise ratio relative to conventional reconstruction techniques, with a relatively minor corresponding loss in image resolution. Results are shown in the context of diffusion spectrum imaging tractography and diffusion tensor imaging, illustrating the potential of this signal-to-noise ratio-enhancing joint reconstruction approach for a range of different diffusion imaging experiments.

Fiber architecture in remodeled myocardium revealed with a quantitative diffusion CMR tractography framework and histological validation.

BACKGROUND: The study of myofiber reorganization in the remote zone after myocardial infarction has been performed in 2D. Microstructural reorganization in remodeled hearts, however, can only be fully appreciated by considering myofibers as continuous 3D entities. The aim of this study was therefore to develop a technique for quantitative 3D diffusion CMR tractography of the heart, and to apply this method to quantify fiber architecture in the remote zone of remodeled hearts. METHODS: Diffusion Tensor CMR of normal human, sheep, and rat hearts, as well as infarcted sheep hearts was performed ex vivo. Fiber tracts were generated with a fourth-order Runge-Kutta integration technique and classified statistically by the median, mean, maximum, or minimum helix angle (HA) along the tract. An index of tract coherence was derived from the relationship between these HA statistics. Histological validation was performed using phase-contrast microscopy. RESULTS: In normal hearts, the subendocardial and subepicardial myofibers had a positive and negative HA, respectively, forming a symmetric distribution around the midmyocardium. However, in the remote zone of the infarcted hearts, a significant positive shift in HA was observed. The ratio between negative and positive HA variance was reduced from 0.96 ± 0.16 in normal hearts to 0.22 ± 0.08 in the remote zone of the remodeled hearts (p < 0.05). This was confirmed histologically by the reduction of HA in the subepicardium from -52.03° ± 2.94° in normal hearts to -37.48° ± 4.05° in the remote zone of the remodeled hearts (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A significant reorganization of the 3D fiber continuum is observed in the remote zone of remodeled hearts. The positive (rightward) shift in HA in the remote zone is greatest in the subepicardium, but involves all layers of the myocardium. Tractography-based quantification, performed here for the first time in remodeled hearts, may provide a framework for assessing regional changes in the left ventricle following infarction.

Response to comment on "the geometric structure of the brain fiber pathways".

In response to Catani et al., we show that corticospinal pathways adhere via sharp turns to two local grid orientations; that our studies have three times the diffusion resolution of those compared; and that the noted technical concerns, including crossing angles, do not challenge the evidence of mathematically specific geometric structure. Thus, the geometric thesis gives the best account of the available evidence.

Molecular imaging of fibrin in a breast cancer xenograft mouse model.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Fibrin deposition has been indicated within the stroma of a majority of solid tumors. Here we assess the feasibility of using the established fibrin-specific probe EP-2104R for noninvasive imaging of fibrin in the context of breast cancer. METHODS: EP-2104R, untargeted gadopentetate dimeglumine (Gd-DTPA), and a newly synthesized nonfibrin binding control linear peptide (CLP) were compared using steady-state and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in a breast cancer xenograft mouse model at 9.4 T. RESULTS: EP-2104R transiently enhanced both tumor core and tumor periphery, but only the enhancement in the tumor periphery persisted even 90 minutes after EP-2104R administration. However, untargeted Gd-DTPA and CLP are not retained in the tumor periphery. The half-life of EP-2104R in the tumor periphery (103 ± 18 minutes) is significantly longer (P < 0.05) than that of either Gd-DTPA (29.6 ± 2.4 minutes) or CLP (42.4 ± 1.5 minutes), but the rate of clearance is similar for all the 3 probes from the tumor core. The presence of high concentrations of fibrin in the tumor periphery was corroborated using immunohistochemistry with a fibrin-specific antibody. CONCLUSIONS: The persistent enhancement observed in the tumor periphery with EP-2104R is likely a result of its fibrin-specific binding rather than its size and demonstrates the feasibility of EP-2104R for molecular imaging of fibrin in tumor stroma.

A theranostic small interfering RNA nanoprobe protects pancreatic islet grafts from adoptively transferred immune rejection.

Islet transplantation has recently emerged as an acceptable clinical modality for restoring normoglycemia in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). The long-term survival and function of islet grafts is compromised by immune rejection-related factors. Downregulation of factors that mediate immune rejection using RNA interference holds promise for improving islet graft resistance to damaging factors after transplantation. Here, we used a dual-purpose therapy/imaging small interfering (si)RNA magnetic nanoparticle (MN) probe that targets ß(2) microglobulin (B2M), a key component of the major histocompatibility class I complex (MHC I). In addition to serving as a siRNA carrier, this MN-siB2M probe enables monitoring of graft persistence noninvasively using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Human islets labeled with these MNs before transplantation into B2M (null) NOD/scid mice showed significantly improved preservation of graft volume starting at 2 weeks, as determined by longitudinal MRI in an adoptive transfer model (P < 0.05). Furthermore, animals transplanted with MN-siB2M-labeled islets demonstrated a significant delay of up to 23.8 ± 4.8 days in diabetes onset after the adoptive transfer of T cells relative to 6.5 ± 4.5 days in controls. This study demonstrated that our approach could protect pancreatic islet grafts from immune rejection and could potentially be applied to allotransplantation and prevention of the autoimmune recurrence of T1DM in islet transplantation or endogenous islets.

Dynamic functional cerebral blood volume responses to normobaric hyperoxia in acute ischemic stroke.

Studies suggest that neuroprotective effects of normobaric oxygen (NBO) therapy in acute stroke are partly mediated by hemodynamic alterations. We investigated cerebral hemodynamic effects of repeated NBO exposures. Serial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed in Wistar rats subjected to focal ischemic stroke. Normobaric oxygen-induced functional cerebral blood volume (fCBV) responses were analyzed. All rats had diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) lesions within larger perfusion deficits, with DWI lesion expansion after 3 hours. Functional cerebral blood volume responses to NBO were spatially and temporally heterogeneous. Contralateral healthy tissue responded consistently with vasoconstriction that increased with time. No significant responses were evident in the acute DWI lesion. In hypoperfused regions surrounding the acute DWI lesion, tissue that remained viable until the end of the experiment showed relative preservation of mean fCBV at early time points, with some rats showing increased fCBV (vasodilation); however, these regions later exhibited significantly decreased fCBV (vasoconstriction). Tissue that became DWI abnormal by study-end initially showed marginal fCBV changes that later became moderate fCBV reductions. Our results suggest that a reverse-steal hemodynamic effect may occur in peripheral ischemic zones during NBO treatment of focal stroke. In addition, CBV responses to NBO challenge may have potential as an imaging marker to distinguish ischemic core from salvageable tissues.

Neuroanatomic connectivity of the human ascending arousal system critical to consciousness and its disorders.

The ascending reticular activating system (ARAS) mediates arousal, an essential component of human consciousness. Lesions of the ARAS cause coma, the most severe disorder of consciousness. Because of current methodological limitations, including of postmortem tissue analysis, the neuroanatomic connectivity of the human ARAS is poorly understood. We applied the advanced imaging technique of high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) to elucidate the structural connectivity of the ARAS in 3 adult human brains, 2 of which were imaged postmortem. High angular resolution diffusion imaging tractography identified the ARAS connectivity previously described in animals and also revealed novel human pathways connecting the brainstem to the thalamus, the hypothalamus, and the basal forebrain. Each pathway contained different distributions of fiber tracts from known neurotransmitter-specific ARAS nuclei in the brainstem. The histologically guided tractography findings reported here provide initial evidence for human-specific pathways of the ARAS. The unique composition of neurotransmitter-specific fiber tracts within each ARAS pathway suggests structural specializations that subserve the different functional characteristics of human arousal. This ARAS connectivity analysis provides proof of principle that HARDI tractography may affect the study of human consciousness and its disorders, including in neuropathologic studies of patients dying in coma and the persistent vegetative state.

1H chemical shift magnetic resonance imaging probes with high sensitivity for multiplex imaging.

Proton-based chemical shift imaging probes were encapsulated inside nano-carriers to increase the sensivitity of the reporters. Co-encapsulation with a relaxation agent results in improved sensitivity and suppresses background signals. Simultaneous imaging of different chemical shift reporters allows multiplexed detection.

The geometric structure of the brain fiber pathways.

The structure of the brain as a product of morphogenesis is difficult to reconcile with the observed complexity of cerebral connectivity. We therefore analyzed relationships of adjacency and crossing between cerebral fiber pathways in four nonhuman primate species and in humans by using diffusion magnetic resonance imaging. The cerebral fiber pathways formed a rectilinear three-dimensional grid continuous with the three principal axes of development. Cortico-cortical pathways formed parallel sheets of interwoven paths in the longitudinal and medio-lateral axes, in which major pathways were local condensations. Cross-species homology was strong and showed emergence of complex gyral connectivity by continuous elaboration of this grid structure. This architecture naturally supports functional spatio-temporal coherence, developmental path-finding, and incremental rewiring with correlated adaptation of structure and function in cerebral plasticity and evolution.