In Vivo Wideband MR Elastography for Assessing Age-Related Viscoelastic Changes of the Human Brain

Schattenfroh J, Meyer T, Aghamiry HS, Jaitner N, Fedders M, Goerner S, Herthum H, Hetzer S, Estrella M, Flé G, Steinmann P, Guo J, Sack I (2026)

Publication Status: In review

Publication Type: Unpublished / Preprint

Future Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2026

DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2509.08356

Abstract

Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE) noninvasively maps brain biomechanics and is highly sensitive to alterations associated with aging and neurodegenerative disease. Most implementations use a single frequency or a narrow frequency band, limiting the analysis of frequency-dependent viscoelastic parameters.

We developed a dual-actuator wideband MRE (5-50 Hz) protocol and acquired wavefields at 13 frequencies in 24 healthy adults (young: 23-39 years; older: 50-63 years). Shear wave speed (SWS) maps were generated as a proxy for stiffness, and SWS dispersion was modeled using Newtonian, Kelvin-Voigt, and power-law rheological models.

Whole-brain stiffness declined with age, with the strongest effect observed at low frequencies (5-16 Hz: -0.24%/year; p=0.019) compared with mid (20-35 Hz: -0.12%/year; p=0.030) and high frequencies (40-50 Hz: -0.10%/year; p=0.165). Compared to older brains, younger adults showed 14.3% higher baseline stiffness in the power-law model (p=0.001) and 8.5-9.0% higher viscosity according to the Newtonian and Kelvin-Voigt model (p<0.05). White and cortical gray matter exhibited similar age-related decreases, while deep gray matter showed an increase in the power-law exponent (+0.001/year; p=0.036), suggesting a transition toward more fluid-like properties associated with aging.

Wideband MRE revealed frequency-dependent and region-specific biomechanical alterations with aging, with the strongest effects observed at low frequencies. Extending brain MRE into the low frequency regime potentially enhances sensitivity to solid-fluid interactions. Therefore, low frequency MRE may serve as an early biomechanical marker of microstructural brain changes due to aging and neurodegeneration.

Authors with CRIS profile

Guillaume Flé Institute of Radiology Paul Steinmann Lehrstuhl für Technische Mechanik (LTM)

Additional Organisation(s)

Sonderforschungsbereich 1540/1 - Erforschung der Mechanik des Gehirns (EBM): Verständnis, Engineering und Nutzung mechanischer Eigenschaften und Signale in der Entwicklung, Physiologie und Pathologie des zentralen Nervensystems

Involved external institutions

Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin DE Germany (DE) Berlin Center for Advanced Neuroimaging (BCAN) DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Schattenfroh, J., Meyer, T., Aghamiry, H.S., Jaitner, N., Fedders, M., Goerner, S.,... Sack, I. (2026). In Vivo Wideband MR Elastography for Assessing Age-Related Viscoelastic Changes of the Human Brain. (Unpublished, In review).

MLA:

Schattenfroh, Jakob, et al. In Vivo Wideband MR Elastography for Assessing Age-Related Viscoelastic Changes of the Human Brain. Unpublished, In review. 2026.

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