Optic nerve: Separating compartments based on ²³Na TQF spectra and TQF-diffusion anisotropy

We present a triple quantum filtered (TQF) sodium spectroscopy study of an excised bovine optic nerve. By choosing proper experimental parameters, this technique allowed us to independently observe the satellite transitions originating from the various compartments in the tissue. TQF-based diffusion experiments provided further characterization of the compartments in terms of their geometry. As a result, the peak that exhibited the smallest residual quadrupolar splitting, and the largest diffusion anisotropy was assigned to axons. Two other pairs of satellite peaks were assigned to extra-cellular compartments on the basis of either the size of their quadrupolar splitting or the diffusion properties.