Volumetric MR, Blockface Imaging, and Histology Deliver High Fidelity Coregistered MR-Histology

Motivation: Validating pathological findings from ultra-high-resolution ex-vivo MRI through histology is significant but challenging due to nonlinear 3D deformations between MRI and histological samples. Goal(s): Addressing the challenge of accurately quantifying complex neurodegenerative diseases by improving the alignment of post-mortem MRI data with histological images. Approach: We built a novel pipeline integrating advanced imaging techniques with innovative registration algorithms, linking high-resolution MRI with blockface imaging and histological sections. Results: Our methodology successfully generated blockface volumes with minimal distortion and artifacts, accomplished precise alignment between MRI and blockface volumes, and achieved an accurate 2D correspondence between MRI and histology slides. Impact: This study introduces an advanced correlative MRI-histology pipeline with robust 2D and 3D coregistration methods, promising to enhance our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and contribute to the evolution of MRI-based biomarkers for the disease.