New Methods for Studying Microstructures in Neural Tissue

Electron microscopy and X-ray techniques can be used for the analysis of the central and peripheral nervous system, such as peripheral nerves. The goal of this study was to analyze the nerve fibers and the myelin that surrounds the axons in the peripheral nerves. The study of microstructures of the nervous system, cells associated with the nervous system and related tissues is made possible using X-ray microscopy. The data that can be captured extends and complements the information that can be gained from a wide range of other microscopy techniques.

Key Learnings:

• Electron microscopy provides unique insights into the structure of central and peripheral nerves
• Unlike electron microscopy, X-ray microscopy provides a way to achieve 3D data without cutting the specimen
• Deep Learning reconstruction of X-ray data greatly assists in generating low noise data that can be used to explore myelin structure and thickness in peripheral nerves.