In vivo gradient echo microimaging of rodent spinal cord at 7 T.

An optimization scheme was developed for gradient echo imaging using a half-birdcage RF coil at 7 T to obtain maximal contrast between gray and white matter in the spinal cord of rodents. This optimization was combined with microimaging techniques to obtain in vivo pixel sizes of 78 x 78 x 700 microm. These techniques can be implemented in an in vivo study to investigate the myelin structure within the white matter of the rodent spinal cord.