title: Use of a clinical MR scanner for imaging the rat brain.
abstract: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy are established techniques that enable noninvasive anatomic and functional tissue characterization in vivo. These tools have been employed to probe experimental models of neoplasia, cerebrovascular disease, brain injury, and neurotransplantation in small animals. To date, these studies have been executed primarily on research-dedicated instruments of limited availability or resolution. Using relatively straightforward software and hardware modifications of a widely used clinical MRI unit, we were able to image numerous structures within the living rat brain including the neostriatum, hippocampus, periaqueductal gray, and the ventricular system. Illustrative applications of this imaging technique in two intracerebral infusion models involving rats are presented. Such adaptation of clinical MRI scanners has the potential to significantly expand the availability of high resolution in vivo imaging of small animals for a variety of experimental protocols.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa 33620.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Fiedler
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Murtagh
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Bonaroti
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Sengstock
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Arendash
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D002535:Cerebral Aqueduct / Q000473:pathology; D002951:Citrates / Q000494:pharmacology; D019343:Citric Acid; D005260:Female; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D016627:Oxidopamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D002951:Citrates; D019343:Citric Acid; D016627:Oxidopamine