UNAM researchers advance nerve fiber detection via MRI

Researchers at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) have demonstrated that diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) can reliably detect the degeneration of nerve fibers, even in complex areas of the brain where fibers intersect. This discovery addresses a long-standing limitation of the technology, which previously struggled to provide reliable interpretations in regions where more than two-thirds of the white matter fibers cross paths.

The study, led by Luis Concha Loyola of the Institute of Neurobiology, utilized patients with asymmetric glaucoma as a clinical model. Because the visual pathways in humans and laboratory specimens are similar, the team was able to use dMRI and tractography to non-invasively distinguish the degree of axonal degeneration in the optic chiasm.

This advancement provides biological support for using dMRI to study complex brain connectivity and could improve the diagnosis of diseases involving neuronal disconnection, such as multiple sclerosis.