Abstract #1091

Direct Visualization of β-Amyloid Plaques in Alzheimers Disease Brain Tissue Using Clinical Field Strength MRI

Hagen H. Kitzler¹, John A. Ronald¹, Yuanxin Chen¹, Robert R. Hammond², Brian K. Rutt¹

¹Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; ²Department of Neuropathology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada

We investigated the capability of high-resolution 3T MR using three-dimensional Fast Imaging Employing STeady state Acquisition (FIESTA) for the detection of β-amyloid plaques in fixed brain specimens from Alzheimers Disease (AD) patients. Focal spherical signal voids were found in neuro-anatomical locations characteristic for the disease, and correlated with β-amyloid plaques identified in registered histological and immuno-histological sections stained for both iron and β-amyloid protein. Here we present the first successful attempt at direct imaging of amyloid plaques in human AD brain tissue using clinical field-strength MR imaging system supported by a specialized gradient insert.