Quantifying the young rat brain: a cross-sectional region-based analysis of T1, T2, R2*, and quantitative susceptibility maps.

Motivation: Exploring the quantitative properties of the brain in young Wistar rats using MRI. This can be useful in future comparative work about aging. Goal(s): The aim is to find ROI-based average qMRI values, and to demonstrate a multi-parametric analysis pipeline for pre-clinical research. Approach: 15 young Wistar rats were scanned using different sequences, and qMRI analysis was performed followed by ROI-based averaging. Results: Processing was completed, and ROI-based averages for each parameter (QSM, T1, T2, R2*) are provided. These values can be used for future comparative studies, and the code will be further developed and shared as open-source. Impact: Quantitatively characterizing the brain of Wistar rats is valuable for research about healthy and abnormal conditions. So, to understand aging, qMRI is very useful. Exploring the quantitative properties of brains of young rats provides reference for comparative work.