A Japanese Locus Coeruleus MRI template at 7T MRI and application for assessing the link between LC structural integrity and motor function

Motivation: The current LC MRI templates are heavily based on Western brains, raising a concern about whether they are equally effective for brains of different ethnicities. Goal(s): Our goal was to develop an LC MRI template for Eastern brains and evaluate it. Approach: We developed an LC MRI template in Japanese populations at 7T MRI and compared it with existing templates. Using the template, we also evaluated the link between the LC structural integrity and motor-related behavior. Results: Our template showed significantly less spatial bias than existing one when applied to Japanese brain. LC structural integrity correlated with motor learning rate. Impact: The current results highlight the importance of using ethnically-matched brain templates to study LC in specific ethnic group. Our results also suggest a potential behavioral marker for assessing LC disfunction caused by PD or AD.