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Abstract #0007

Structural Brain Plasticity Visualized with Diffusion MRI Following a Learning and Memory Task

Tamar Blumenfeld-Katzir1, Ofer Pasternak2, Yaniv Assaf1

1Neurobiology Department, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel; 2Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States


We utilized DTI to follow up on micro-structural changes that occur following a spatial memory task. We scanned rats before and after water maze task and compared their MRI scans using voxel-based statistics. Significant changes in the various DTI parameters were found in a multitude of brain regions including the limbic system and white matter systems. The changes in the DTI indices were found to correlate with immuno-reactivity staining of myelin, synapses and astrocytes. Using these observations, we conclude that DTI can be used as an in-vivo probe of structural plasticity both in gray matter and white matter.