Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42020791›Full record

ArticleCommunications medicine2026

A pipeline to characterize spinal cord pathology in neurological disorders combining magnetic resonance microscopy and histopathology.

Charidimos Tsagkas, Maxime Donadieu, Roy Sun, Brandon Bujak, Kevin Hu, Camille Rood, Katherine Cameron, Stephen Dodd, Daniel S Reich, Govind Nair

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Communications medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

10 authors.

Charidimos Tsagkas *Translational Neuroradiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2586-6316
Maxime Donadieu *Translational Neuroradiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. maxime.donadieu@nih.gov.
Roy SunQuantitative MRI Core, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Brandon BujakQuantitative MRI Core, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Kevin HuTranslational Neuroradiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Camille RoodSection on Instrumentation, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Katherine CameronSection on Instrumentation, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0005-0456-8327
Stephen DoddLaboratory of Functional and Molecular Imaging, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Daniel S ReichTranslational Neuroradiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2628-4334
Govind NairQuantitative MRI Core, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3725-615X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe length, shape, and size of the spinal cord (SC) present unique challenges for MRI, including the need for high resolution to distinguish anatomical and pathological features along its span. Postmortem MRI offers an opportunity to map SC tissue abnormalities and investigate their histological correlates.

methodsWe developed a pipeline combining postmortem microscopic resolution MRI (MR microscopy; MRM) of whole formalin-fixed SC specimens with targeted histopathological analysis. A gadolinium-based tissue preparation protocol was optimized using SC tissue from common marmosets with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. A custom tissue holder and container were designed to enable postmortem MRI of the entire human SC. Human SC samples from individuals with multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and intracranial hemorrhage were scanned at 75 μm isotropic resolution on a 9.4 T Bruker system after gadolinium preparation.

resultsMRM after gadolinium-based tissue preparation yields images with high signal- and contrast-to-noise ratio while minimizing acquisition times. MRI demonstrates fine anatomical detail and pathological features, including demyelination and neurodegeneration throughout the SC. A complementary custom-made cutting rack enables targeted histological sectioning of MRI-identified regions. This approach provides precise spatial correspondence between imaging and histological findings, demonstrating strong agreement across modalities.

conclusionsIn summary, this pipeline facilitates comprehensive SC assessment by integrating MRM with histology. It enables accurate localization of both subtle and widespread SC pathology and enhances interpretation of MRI signals in the context of neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases.

Identifiers

PMID42020791
PMCPMC13324037

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.