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Abstract #4384

Investigating the Relationships Between T1 and T2 Relaxation Times and Myelin Water Fraction During Neurodevelopment

Sean CL Deoni1, Evelyne Mercure2,3, Anna Blasi2,3, David Gasston2, Mark Johnson3, Steven CR Williams2, Declan G. Murphy4

1Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom; 2Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, London, England, United Kingdom; 3Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck University, London, England, United Kingdom; 4Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London, England, United Kingdom


T1 and T2 are commonly cited as reflecting myelin content and used as surrogate markers. However, the relationships between myelin content changes and changes in these relaxation parameters have not yet been established. In this study, we investigated the relationship between brain T1, T2 and myelin water fraction (MWF) during the developmental period from 3 through 8 months of age in healthy infants. We demonstrate that while T1 is generally correlated with MWF, T2 is a poor predictor of myelin content. Results of this study suggest care should be taken in using relaxation parameters to infer alterations in myelin content.