Novel method to quantitatively measure brain scans help in diagnosing & treating neurological diseases

11/19/2013 - 00:00

An interdisciplinary Stanford team has developed a new method for quantitatively (using numbers) measuring human brain tissue using MRI (which formerly provided mostly qualitative, such as “bright” or “dark,” information).

The team members measured the volume of large molecules (macromolecules) within each cubic millimeter of the brain. Their method may improve how doctors diagnose and treat neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

“We’re moving from qualitative — saying something is off — to measuring how [far] off it is,” said Aviv Mezer, Stanford postdoctoral scholar in psychology. The team’s work, funded by research grants from the National Institutes of Health, appears in the journal Nature Medicine.