Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

A study published this week in Nature Neuroscience demonstrates how studying the magnetic properties of tissue may provide a unique window into brain health and disease.

Magnetic susceptibility atlas generated by averaging the magnetic susceptibility maps (non-linearly registered to MNI space) from 35,273 subjects.

Dr Chaoyue Wang and colleagues used the UK Biobank neuroimaging resource to estimate maps of 'magnetic susceptibility' in 30,000 individuals. These maps relate to the levels of iron, myelin and calcium in the brain.

The researchers were able to identify associations between tissue magnetism and an individual's genetics, lifestyle, and health. 'For example, we uncovered a previously undescribed relationship between tea consumption and magnetic susceptibility, which may relate to iron accumulation in the brain', said Dr Wang.

The data are made to researchers worldwide via the UK Biobank.

Read the full paper in Nature Neuroscience

Read a summary of the paper