Quantitative UTE MRI of Demyelination in mTBI Mice Subject to Open-field Low-intensity Blast Injury

Motivation: mTBI can lead to myelin damage, culminating in substantial cognitive function impairment. Yet, conventional neuroimaging methodologies often fall short in identifying abnormalities in a significant proportion of mTBI instances. Goal(s): To assess the potential of UTE sequence in detecting demyelination in mTBI mice subject to an open-field LIB injury. Approach: A new STAIR-UTE sequence was employed to study demyelination in mTBI mice subject to an open-field LIB injury at 3T. Results: The STAIR-UTE measured MPFs in the corpus callosum region for the mTBI mice are significantly lower (8.5±0.4% vs. 8.8±0.4%; p-value = 0.0055) than those for the control mice. Impact: STAIR-UTE sequence enables quantitative myelin imaging at 3T MRI, facilitating the detection of demyelination within the mouse brain's white matter following open-field LIB exposure. This innovative STAIR-UTE technique holds significant promise for in vivo mTBI diagnosis and treatment monitoring.