AJR Get Involved! Join ARRS Today
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Figures Only
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Karlik, S. J.
Right arrow Articles by Chhem, R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Karlik, S. J.
Right arrow Articles by Chhem, R.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
Hotlight (NEW!)
Right arrow
What's Hotlight?
DOI:10.2214/AJR.07.2087
AJR 2007; 189:W105-W110
© American Roentgen Ray Society

Original Research

MRI and Multinuclear MR Spectroscopy of 3,200-Year-Old Egyptian Mummy Brain

Stephen J. Karlik1, Robert Bartha2, Karen Kennedy1 and Rethy Chhem1

1 Paleoradiology Research Unit, Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London Health Sciences Center, University Hospital, 339 Windermere Rd., London, ON N6A 5A5, Canada.
2 Imaging Research Laboratory, Robarts Research Institute, London, ON, Canada.

OBJECTIVE. Our objective was to present the MR and MR spectroscopy imaging findings of a 3,200-year-old preserved brain from an Egyptian mummy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS. In this work, the morphology of the intact specimen was examined by MRI at 1.5 T. Chemistry of the intact specimens was studied by proton spectroscopy at 1.5 T and sodium nuclear MR (NMR) spectroscopy at 4.0 T. Biopsies from the temporal lobes were analyzed by proton and phosphorus NMR spectroscopy (14 T) or rehydrated and stained for paleohistologic study.

RESULTS. MRI showed a heterogeneous brain with convolutions, gyri, and air pockets. Paleohistology showed a uniform, disorganized cerebral substance with numerous eosinophilic structures and argentophilic granules. Spectroscopic studies identified bound sodium ions in the specimen and phosphate and free fatty acids in extracts.

CONCLUSION. MR techniques are a nondestructive method for the analysis of adipocere observed in a preserved mummy's brain.

Keywords: adipocere • Egypt • MRI • mummy • NMR spectroscopy


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2007 by the American Roentgen Ray Society.