Bridging mesoscopic and microscopic scales in multiple sclerosis: Post mortem brain block multi-contrast 9.4T MRI and histology quantification

Combining ex vivo MRI mesoscopic and histopathology microscopic assessments of tissue microstructure forms a key approach in multiple sclerosis (MS) research for elucidating disease pathogenesis. We present a protocol that enables reproducible, scalable, and robust integration of MRI and histology data in MS brains. We describe steps for (1) obtaining high-resolution multi-contrast 9.4T MRI of postmortem brain blocks and (2) the usage of a custom, open-source image processing interface for robust histology-MRI registration and semi-quantitative mapping of myelin density, microglia, and cell count.