In vivo quantitative microimaging of rat spinal cord at 7T

In vivo T-2, ADC, and MT properties of the GM and WM of the rat spinal cord were measured at 7T in the cervical region, The GM T-2, T-2GM = 43.2 +/- 1 ,0 msec is significantly reduced compared to the WM T-2, T-2WM = 57.0 +/- 1 .6 msec. Diffusion is anisotropic for both GM and WM, with a larger ADC val ue along the cord axis (ADC(GM)//, = 1.05 +/- 0.09 10(-9) m(2) sec(-1) and ADC(WM//) = 1.85 +/- 0.18 10(-9) m(2) sec(-1)) than perpendicular to this p lane (ADC(GM perpendicular to) similar to 0.50 * 10(-9) m(2) sec(-1) and AD C(WM perpendicular to) similar to 0.18 * 10(-9) m(2) sec(-1)).The MT proper ties do not significantly differ between the WM and the GM, but allow one t o distinguish the thin CSF layer from the WM, DWI with the sensitizing grad ient perpendicular to the cord axis leads to the best contrast between GM a nd WM in the cervical region. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.