| Summary: | Pelizaeus–Merzbacher disease (PMD) is an X-linked recessive disorder of the central nervous system. We performed 7 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging of the brain in Tama rats, a rodent PMD model, and control rats, as well as evaluated the diagnostic values. In the white matter of the Tama rats, the T<sub>2</sub> values were prolonged, which is similar to that observed in patients with PMD (60.7 ± 1.8 ms vs. 51.6 ± 1.3 ms, <i>p</i> < 0.0001). The apparent diffusion coefficient values in the white matter of the Tama rats were higher than those of the control rats (0.68 ± 0.03 × 10<sup>−3</sup> mm<sup>2</sup>/s vs. 0.64 ± 0.03 × 10<sup>−3</sup> mm<sup>2</sup>/s, <i>p</i> < 0.05). In proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, the N-acetylaspartate (6.97 ± 0.12 mM vs. 5.98 ± 0.25 mM, <i>p</i> < 0.01) and N-acetylaspartate + N-acetylaspartylglutamate values of the Tama rats were higher (8.22 ± 0.17 mM vs. 7.14 ± 0.35 mM, <i>p</i> < 0.01) than those of the control rats. The glycerophosphocholine + phosphocholine values of the Tama rats were lower than those of the control rats (1.04 ± 0.09 mM vs. 1.45 ± 0.04 mM, <i>p</i> < 0.001). By using Luxol fast blue staining, we confirmed dysmyelination in the Tama rats. These results are similar to those of patients with PMD and other PMD animal models.
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