Gray-white matter contrast reversal on T1-weighted spin-echo in postmortem brain.
Forensic Sci Int
; 360: 112031, 2024 Jul.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38723476
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE:
The image contrast of postmortem magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may differ from that of antemortem MRI because of circulator arrest, changes in postmortem tissue, and low-body-temperature scanning conditions. In fact, we have found that the signal intensity of white matter (WM) on T1-weighted spin-echo (T1WSE) images of the postmortem brain was lower than that of gray matter (GM), which resulted in image contrast reversal between GM and WM relative to the living brain. However, the reason for this phenomenon is unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study is to clarify the reason why image contrast reversal occurs between GM and WM of the postmortem brain. MATERIALS ANDMETHODS:
Twenty-three corpses were included in the study (mean age, 60.6 years; range 19-60 years; mean rectal temperature at scan, 6.9â; range 4-11â). On a 1.5â¯T MRI system, postmortem T1W-SE MRI of the brain was conducted in the 23 corpses prior to medico-legal autopsy. Next, T1 and T2 of the GM and WM at the level of the basal ganglia were determined in the same participants using inversion recovery and multiple SE sequences, respectively. The proton density (PD) was also calculated from the T1 and T2 images (in the same slice).RESULTS:
T1W-SE image contrast between the GM and WM of all postmortem brains was inverted relative to the living brain. T1 (579â¯ms in GM and 307â¯ms in WM) and PD (64 in GM and 44 in WM) of the postmortem brain decreased compared with the living brain. While T1 of WM/GM remained below 1 even postmortem, the PD of WM/GM decreased. T2 (110â¯ms in GM and 98â¯ms in WM) of the postmortem brain did not differ from the living brain.CONCLUSION:
The decrease in PD of WM/GM in the postmortem brain may be the major driver of contrast reversal between the GM and WM relative to the living brain.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Mudanças Depois da Morte
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Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética
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Substância Cinzenta
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Substância Branca
Limite:
Adult
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article