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Diving to Depths

Studying the dentate gyrus – brain region that undergoes early changes in Alzheimer’s – using a strong field MRI scanner

02 April 2023

Diving to Depths

The dentate gyrus is a part of the brain that contributes to the formation of memories. In individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, this is the first site known to undergo degenerative changes even before symptoms start to show. This sounds promising for detecting Alzheimer’s earlier, but this structure is only a few millimetres thick and hidden deep within the brain. To exploit this knowledge, we would need really powerful imaging techniques to detect microscopic changes. Here, researchers used a 16.4 Tesla MRI scanner – a much stronger magnetic field than currently used for human body imaging – to measure changes for example in neuron density and abnormal protein accumulation within the dentate gyrus from postmortem brains of cognitively normal individuals (left) and those with Alzheimer’s (right). Colours highlight neuron fibres in subregions, revealing differences. While this technology is far from ready for a clinical setting, it is a step in the right direction.

Written by Sophie Arthur

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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