Abstract #3673

Diffusion Tensor Imaging Demonstrated Significant Axonal Damage in Fmr1 Knock Out Mice

Da Shi¹,², Jiachen Zhou,²³, Su Xu²,³, Rao P. Gullapalli²,³

¹Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, United States; ²Core for Translational Research in Imaging @ University of Maryland, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, United States; ³Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, United States

Recent use of MRI to study Fragile X syndrome (FXS) has revealed changes in brain during development. However, there is still a gap in knowledge about developmental alterations in the FXS and Fmr1 knockout mouse model. We have found deceased diffusion parameters in many regions of the Fmr1 KO mouse brain compared to wild-type mice at postnatal day (PND) 30. A general decreasing trend of mean, axial and radial diffusivity were found in whole brain and specific brain regions of Fmr1 KO mice. Preliminary histological correlation found decrease staining of myelin in Fmr1 KO mice at PND 30.