Development of anatomically standardized map of the midbrain

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In this research, in order to create the anatomically standardized brain of the midbrains, the following examinations were performed.(A)The red nucleus and the substantia nigra are visualized with higher resolution and higher tissue contrast by 3T magnetic resonance (MR) imager than a conventional 1.5 T MR imager. Therefore, the exact position or relative position of the Raphe nucleus and the locus ceruleus were expected to be identified more correctly on MR image. However, we could hardly obtain the tissue contrast of both the nuclei even with MR-T1 and T2 relaxation time of 3D-IR (three dimensional inversion recovery) MR which has high tissue contrast and high resolution. It was speculated that this was caused by low density of neural body in each nucleus. The contrast of gray and white matter could not display the nuclei even on the image of tissue specimen. Then, a tissue enhancer was nesscessary as described in Following B.(B)We introduced [F-18]FDOPA to locate nuclei which receive dopaminergic projection in the midbrain Mild increase of FDOPA influx rate was detected in the rostral median midbrain (rostral raphe) and bilateral base of the fourth ventricle (locus ceruleus). These images were compared with the 3T MR image of the midbrain. An area slightly seen at the medial midbrain on MRI image was thought to correspond to the rostral raphe. The locus ceruleus was also located on MR image.(C)Based on the above results, the coordinates of the nuclei were obtained on the standard brain Applications to functional brain mapping for the midbrain by PET and functional MR imaging are expected.