The Kaleidoscopic Image of a Mouse’s Brain is 64 Million Times Sharper Than a Typical MRI

Researchers created a MRI with a powerful magnet of 9.4 teslas to improve on this technology. Most MRIs have a magnet between 1.5 and 3 teslas. The statement also said that they added gradient coils which are 100 times more powerful than the current models. These are the ones that create the images. They also added a computer with a speed equivalent to 800 laptops.

The researchers scanned the mouse’s brain and then sent tissue samples for imaging using a technique known as light sheet microscopy. This allowed them to identify specific groups of brain cells that were then mapped on the original MRI. According to a statement, these additional steps gave a colorful picture of the cells and circuits in the brain.

Researchers took a set of MRI pictures that showed how mouse brain connectivity changed with age. According to a statement, a second set of images showed brilliantly colored connections in the brain that highlighted the degradation of neural networks within a mouse model of Alzheimer’s.

Source:
https://www.livescience.com/health/neuroscience/kaleidoscopic-image-of-a-mouses-brain-is-64-million-times-more-brilliant-than-a-typical-mri