Studying the physiology, plasticity and evolution of the motor network with myelin-sensitive neuroimaging

Myelin is increasingly recognised as a key site for the regulation and implementation of brain plasticity. Recent advancements in non-invasive myelin-sensitive neuroimaging have the potential to provide unique insights into the biology of myelin across species. In this talk, I will provide a brief overview of the technical advantages and challenges associated with these techniques, alongside a discussion of the literature validating myelin-sensitive measures (Lazari and Lipp, 2021). I will then highlight individual examples of projects applying myelin-sensitive MRI to investigate the physiology, plasticity and evolution of the brain, using the motor network as a case study. First, I will show that the myelin content of white matter tracts can be linked to cortico-cortical interactions and behaviour (Lazari et al., 2022a). Second, I will demonstrate how myelin-sensitive imaging can be used longitudinally to track changes in myelination induced by non-invasive brain stimulation and to investigate the mechanisms underlying Hebbian myelin plasticity (Lazari et al., 2022b). Third, I will illustrate how myelin-sensitive imaging can provide indirect markers of cortical hierarchy and enable comparisons of network anatomy between species (Lazari et al., 2024). Together, these studies highlight the potential of myelin-sensitive neuroimaging techniques in advancing our understanding of brain structure and function.