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Abstract #3695

Effects of Ascent to High Altitude: A T2 Relaxometry Study on Rat Brain

Sunil Koundal1, Sonia Gandhi1, Tanzeer Kaur2, Subash Khushu1, Rajendra P. Tripathi1

1NMR Research Centre, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), Delhi, India; 2Department of Biophysics, Panjab University, Chandigarh, Panjab, India


Ascent to high altitude results in air at low pressure, this condition of hypobaric hypoxia affects brain adversely. We used T2 relaxometry to trace any changes in brain parenchyma due to exposure to hypobaric hypoxia in rat brain. Result showed significant decrease in T2rt in grey matter areas and increase in white matter areas which indicates inhomogeniety and edema in brain tissue respectively indicating changes in tissue architecture at micro level , possibly an neuronal dysfunction and neurotransmitter metabolism.

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