Abstract #5062

Myelin water atlas for cervical spinal cord: A template for spinal cord pathway myelin microstructure

Hanwen Liu^1,2, Emil Ljungberg³, Erin MacMillan³, Laura Barlow⁴, Shannon Kolind³, John Kramer^2,5, and Cornelia Laule^2,6,7

¹Physics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, ²International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, Vancouver, BC, Canada, ³Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, ⁴UBC Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, ⁵Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, ⁶Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, ⁷Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, BC, Canada

In-vivo microstructural information of myelin in the spinal cord is desirable for studying spinal cord injury and neurodegenerative diseases. We used myelin water imaging combine with Spinal Cord Toolbox to create a standard microstructure template specific to myelin content, so-called myelin water atlas, for healthy cervical spinal cord. The resulting atlas is able to distinguish myelin content in 7 different spinal cord pathways and agrees with well-known anatomical characteristics. Our work shows the potential of using a myelin water atlas as a microstructure reference to visualize demyelination in spinal cord injuries or diseases.

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