In vivo mapping of the intra-cortical vasculature and layer-specific changes in Δχ and ΔR2* of human cerebral cortex using USPIO-MRI at 7T

Motivation: In vivo imaging of intra-cortical vessels of human brain, including penetrating arteries, veins and capillary density are still scarce. Goal(s): To reconstruct the in vivo intra-cortical vessels of the human brain and estimate the cortical layer-specific changes in susceptibility (χ) in the presence of superparamagnetic iron oxides. Approach: With aid of Ferumoxytol at 7T, high resolution gradient echo imaging was implemented to reconstruct pre-/post-SWI, R2* and χ maps. Results: Intra-cortical penetrating arteries and veins can be differentiated by pre- and post-contrast SWI. Changes in R2* and χ revealed variations reflective of capillary density across different layers, which is in agreement with histological findings. Impact: This study provides in vivo imaging characterization of intra-cortical vessels of human brain using high-resolution Ferumoxytol-enhanced SWI at 7T. Utilizing changes in R2* and χ enables us delve deeper into the laminar distribution of capillary density across various cortical layers.