We have developed the ‘Amsterdam postmortem protocol’ in order to perform high-field structural MRI imaging using the 3 Tesla Philips Achieva MRI scanner at the VUmc within 4-10 hours after death.
We perform quantitative MRI, including T1-and T2-relaxometry, FLAIR, Susceptibility Weighted Imaging MRI (SWI) and Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) mapping, through which changes in water content, axonal and myelin content, (micro)gliosis, and general tissue integrity or disruption can be assessed on a voxel-based level. Specifically, DTI is used for quantifying integrity and strength of the white matter bundles between the brain nuclei, whereas the T1 and T2 scans will be used to investigate grey/white matter integrity.