The characterization of brain microstructure
from MRI data requires the development of specific MRI tissue biomarkers and of
advanced models linking microscopic tissue properties to MRI signals. We apply the
Anderson-Weiss theory, which describes the transverse relaxation of the MRI
signal as a function of tissue microstructure, on in-vivo MRI data acquired at
3T. In grey matter, parameter estimates show a strong correlation with
histological measures of iron concentration. The time constants provided by the
model yield realistic estimates of microscopic compartment size. These results
offer a promising perspective for the histological assessment of brain tissue in-vivo
using MRI.
