Visualization of neurons in the brain with phase-contrast CT

Three-dimensional structural analysis of brain is essential to understand neuronal function and brain pathology. The phase-contrast X-ray imaging technique uses an X-ray interferometer and is an extremely sensitive method to visualize structures with low X-ray absorbance. Since the phase shifts caused by light elements can be detected as interference patterns in spite of nearly zero absorption coefficients, the signal/noise ratio for the phase-contrast images of the brain is expected to be hundreds times higher than that obtained with the conventional X-ray absorption contrast method. With phase-contrast imaging technique, we could visualize brain microstructures and specific types of neurons, such as the pyramidal cells in the hippocampus. Phase-contrast CT is a promising technique for nondestructive visualization of brain and spinal cord.