A multi-modal framework for characterizing myelin microstructure

磁共振成像(MRI)在表征大脑发育、衰老、疾病和治疗过程中的微结构方面显示出巨大的潜力。然而，以目前的分辨率(大约几毫米)，MRI仍然是一个迟钝的工具，只能鸟瞰构成大脑中大量白质的纤维(大约几微米)的复杂网络。在过去的十年里，定量磁共振成像(QMRI)领域取得了巨大的进步，使我们能够在比原始MRI分辨率小一个数量级的范围内收集微观结构信息。能够做到这一点将增加我们对大脑发育的了解，并成为诊断和治疗神经退行性疾病的宝贵工具。

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) shows great promise for characterizing brain microstructure during development, aging, disease, and treatment. However, with its current resolution (on the order of millimeters), MRI remains a blunt tool that provides only a birds-eye view of the complex network of fibers (on the order of micrometers) that make up the bulk of white matter in the brain. The last ten years have seen tremendous advances in the field of quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI), enabling us to glean microstructural information on a scale that is orders of magnitude smaller than the native MRI resolution. Being able to do so will increase our understanding of brain development and become an invaluable tool for diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.