High-resolution MAP-MRI reveals cortical area specific laminar patterns observed with histological staining

We investigate the sensitivity of high-resolution MAP-MRI to distinguish cortical architectonic features by directly comparing laminar patterns in whole-brain volumes of MAP-derived parameters to the corresponding histological sections in the same macaque monkey brain. MAP parameters, in particular PA, NG, RTAP, DEC, and fODF maps, show cortical area-specific lamination patterns with excellent conspicuity in the mid-cortical layers, matching, and sometimes complementing, the contrast observed in the immuno- or histochemically stained sections. Delineating cortical areas with distinct cytoarchitectonic features non-invasively based on diffusion propagators could transform our ability to study brain networks and diagnose subtle microstructural changes in many clinical applications.

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