Abstract #1841

Diffusion in the Extra-Cellular Space of the Rat Cerebral Cortex Probed by MRI and Direct Infusion of Contrast Agents

Gisela E. Hagberg¹, Ilgar Mamedov¹, Anthony Powers¹, Michael Beyerlein¹, Hellmut Merkle², Goran Angelovski¹, Nikos K. Logothetis¹

¹MPI Biological cybernetics, Tubingen, Germany, Germany; ²LFMI-NINDS, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States

Measurements of the diffusion properties of substances in the cerebral extra-cellular space (ECS) can be used to study drug delivery/clearance and brain tissue structure. Currently used methods have high sensitivity, but are limited to single spatial points or are performed post mortem, or has a limited depth penetration. Here we explore the use of MRI during direct infusion of T1 relaxating agents and mathematical modelling for investigating ECS diffusion.