Development of laminar organization of the fetal cerebrum at 3.0T and 7.0T: a postmortem MRI study

• Published in: Neuroradiology Vol. 53; no. 3; pp. 177 - 184
• Main Authors: Zhang, Zhonghe, Liu, Shuwei, Lin, Xiangtao, Teng, Gaojun, Yu, Taifei, Fang, Fang, Zang, Fengchao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.03.2011; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aging - pathology; Aging - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Brain; Cerebral Cortex - anatomy & histology; Cerebral Cortex - embryology; Cerebral Cortex - growth & development; Diagnosis; Fetuses; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Human; Humans; Imaging; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Learning. Memory; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Memory; Models, Anatomic; Nervous system; Neurology; Neuroradiology; Neurosciences; Neurosurgery; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Paediatric Neuroradiology; Prenatal development; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Radiodiagnosis. Nmr imagery. Nmr spectrometry; Radiology; Postmortem MRI; Development; Cerebral cortex; Fetal brain; Laminar organization; Nervous system diseases; Organization; Radiodiagnosis; Central nervous system; Postmortem; Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; Encephalon
• ISSN: 0028-3940; 1432-1920
• DOI: 10.1007/s00234-010-0781-7

Introduction The purpose of this study is to show the condition of laminar organization on 3.0T and 7.0T postmortem magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and analyze developmental changes. Methods Heads of 131 fetal specimens of 14–40 weeks gestational age (GA) were scanned by 3.0T MRI. Eleven fetal specimens of 14–27 weeks GA were scanned by 7.0T MRI. Clear images were chosen for analysis. Results On T 1 -weighted 3.0T MRI, layers could be visualized at 14 weeks GA and appeared clearer after 18 weeks GA. On 7.0T MRI, four zones could be recognized at 14 weeks GA. During 15–22 weeks GA, when laminar organization appeared typical, seven layers including the periventricular zone and external capsule fibers could be differentiated, which corresponded to seven zones in histological stained sections. At 23–28 weeks GA, laminar organization appeared less typical, and borderlines among them appeared obscured. After 30 weeks GA, it disappeared and turned into mature-like structures. The developing lamination appeared the most distinguishable at the parieto-occipital part of brain and peripheral regions of the hippocampus. The migrating thalamocortical afferents were probably delineated as a high signal layer located at the lower, middle, and upper part of the subplate zone at 16–28 weeks GA on T 1 -weighted 3.0T MRI. Conclusions T 1 -weighted 3.0T MRI and T 2 -weighted 7.0T MRI can well demonstrate the laminar organization. Development of the lamination follows a specific spatio-temporal regularity, and postmortem MRI of the parieto-occipital part of brain obtained with 3.0T or 7.0T is an effective way to show developmental changes.