Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40294081›Full record

ArticleMagnetic resonance in medicine2025

Unraveling the major role of vascular (R2') contributions to R2* signal relaxation at ultra-high-field MRI: A comprehensive analysis with quantitative gradient recalled echo in mouse brain.

Joanna Im, Biao Xiang, Victoria A Levasseur, Alexander L Sukstanskii, James D Quirk, Satya V V N Kothapalli, Anne H Cross, Dmitriy A Yablonskiy

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Magnetic resonance in medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. TE-aware state analysis and evolution in dynamic network connectivity.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Joanna ImDepartment of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
Biao XiangMallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
Victoria A LevasseurDepartment of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
Alexander L SukstanskiiMallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
James D QuirkMallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
Satya V V N KothapalliMallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
Anne H CrossDepartment of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
Dmitriy A YablonskiyMallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-2898-8797

Funding

In vivo Identification of Pre-Atrophic Brain Neurodegeneration in Prodromal Alzheimer Disease with Quantitative Gradient Recalled Echo MRIRF1AG077658 · NIA · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI YABLONSKIY, DMITRIY A · 2022 to 2022
$2.2M
Deep-Learning-Augmented Quantitative Gradient Recalled Echo (DLA-qGRE) MRI for in vivo Clinical Evaluation of Brain Microstructural Neurodegeneration in Alzheimer DiseaseRF1AG082030 · NIA · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI GOYAL, MANU S, YABLONSKIY, DMITRIY A · 2023 to 2023
$2.0M
In vivo Identification of Pre-Atrophic Brain Neurodegeneration in Prodromal Alzheimer Disease with Quantitative Gradient Recalled Echo MRIR01AG077658 · NIA · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI DMITRIY A YABLONSKIY · 2025 to 2026
$1.4M
NIA NIH HHS R01 AG077658NIA NIH HHS RF1 AG077658NIA NIH HHS RF1 AG082030NIH HHS RF1 AG077658NIH HHS RF1 AG082030Small Animal Magnetic Resonance Facility of Washington University
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeUltra-high-field (UHF) R2* relaxometry is often used for in vivo analysis of biological tissue microstructure without accounting for vascular contributions to R2* signal, that is, the BOLD signal component, and magnetic field inhomogeneities. These effects are especially important at UHF as their contribution to R2* scales linearly with magnetic field. Our study aims to report on the results of separate contributions of R2t* (tissue-specific sub-component) and R2' (vascular BOLD sub-component), corrected for the adverse effects of magnetic field inhomogeneities, to the total R2* signal at in vivo UHF MRI of mouse brain.

methodsFour healthy, 8-week-old C57BL/6J mice were imaged in vivo with multi-gradient echo MRI at 9.4 T and analyzed using the quantitative gradient recalled echo (qGRE) approach. A segmentation protocol was established using the Dorr Mouse Brain Atlas and ANTs Syn registration to warp template brain region labels to subject qGRE maps.

resultsBy separating R2' contribution from R2* signal, we have established normative R2t* data in mouse brain. Our findings revealed significant contributions of R2' to R2*, with approximately 42% of the R2* signal arising from vascular contributions, thus suggesting the R2t* as a more accurate metric for quantifying tissue microstructural information and its changes in neurodegenerative diseases.

conclusionqGRE approach allows efficient separation of tissue microstructure-specific (R2t*), vascular BOLD (R2'), and background gradients contributions to the total R2* relaxation at UHF MRI. Due to low concentration of non-heme iron in mouse brain, major contribution to R2t* results from tissue cellular components.

Indexed as

BrainImage Processing, Computer-AssistedMagnetic Resonance ImagingAlgorithmsAnimalsMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLbiophysical modelingqGRER2*ultra‐high‐field MRI

Identifiers

PMID40294081
PMCPMC12137776

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.