Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
J Neurochem. 2024 Sep;168(9):2243-2263. doi: 10.1111/jnc.16170. Epub 2024 Jul 8.
Myelin water fraction (MWF) imaging has emerged as a promising magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarker for investigating brain function and composition. This comprehensive review synthesizes the current state of knowledge on MWF as a biomarker of human cerebral aging, neurodegenerative diseases, and risk factors influencing myelination. The databases used include Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, and PubMed. We begin with a brief discussion of the theoretical foundations of MWF imaging, including its basis in MR physics and the mathematical modeling underlying its calculation, with an overview of the most adopted MRI methods of MWF imaging. Next, we delve into the clinical and research applications that have been explored to date, highlighting its advantages and limitations. Finally, we explore the potential of MWF to serve as a predictive biomarker for neurological disorders and identify future research directions for optimizing MWF imaging protocols and interpreting MWF in various contexts. By harnessing the power of MWF imaging, we may gain new insights into brain health and disease across the human lifespan, ultimately informing novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
髓鞘水分数（MWF）成像已成为一种很有前途的磁共振成像（MRI）生物标志物，可用于研究大脑功能和组成。本综述综合了当前关于 MWF 作为人类大脑老化、神经退行性疾病以及影响髓鞘形成的危险因素的生物标志物的知识状况。使用的数据库包括 Web of Science、Scopus、Science Direct 和 PubMed。我们首先简要讨论了 MWF 成像的理论基础，包括其在磁共振物理学中的基础以及其计算所依据的数学模型，并概述了最常用的 MWF 成像 MRI 方法。接下来，我们深入探讨了迄今为止探索过的临床和研究应用，强调了其优点和局限性。最后，我们探讨了 MWF 作为神经疾病预测生物标志物的潜力，并确定了优化 MWF 成像方案和在各种情况下解释 MWF 的未来研究方向。通过利用 MWF 成像的力量，我们可以更深入地了解人类生命周期中的大脑健康和疾病，最终为新的诊断和治疗策略提供信息。
