NORMAL AND ABNORMAL PATTERNS OF MYELIN DEVELOPMENT OF THE FETAL AND INFANTILE HUMAN BRAIN USING MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING

Magnetic resonance imaging allows a noninvasive assessment of myelinat ion during normal brain maturation as well as the detection of genetic ally determined and acquired diseases that affect the synthesis and ma intenance of myelin. If this high sensitivity of magnetic resonance im aging for white matter changes is completed by adequate clinical and b iochemical information, a unique diagnostic tool is available to gain new insights in the formation of myelin and pathogenesis of myelin dis orders.