Tie-Qiang Li1, M. Fukunaga2, K
Shmueli12,
1Department of Medical Physics,
Karolinska University Hospital, S-141
86, Stockholm, Sweden; 2Laboratory of Functional and Molecular
Imaging,, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National
Institutes of Health,, United States
T2*-weighted
MRI at high magnetic field strength has recently been used to reveal cortical
layer structures and white matter heterogeneity in vivo. Magnetic
susceptibility differences have been widely thought to give rise to most of
the contrast but the precise mechanisms underlying the contrast is still
poorly understood. Here, we report an interesting finding from microscopic
MRI and histological studies of white matter specimens of the human brain,
which may provide further clues for better understanding of the mechanisms
underlying the T2*-weighted contrast.