title: Manganese-Enhanced MRI: Biological Applications in Neuroscience.
abstract: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an excellent non-invasive tool to investigate biological systems. The administration of the paramagnetic divalent ion manganese (Mn(2+)) enhances MRI contrast in vivo. Due to similarities between Mn(2+) and calcium (Ca(2+)), the premise of manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI) is that the former may enter neurons and other excitable cells through voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels. As such, MEMRI has been used to trace neuronal pathways, define morphological boundaries, and study connectivity in morphological and functional imaging studies. In this article, we provide a brief overview of MEMRI and discuss recently published data to illustrate the usefulness of this method, particularly in animal models.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP , São Paulo , Brazil ; Centro de Imagens e Espectroscopia In vivo por Ressonância Magnética, Institute of Physics of São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo , São Carlos , Brazil.
authors.forename: Jackeline Moraes
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Malheiros
authors.affiliation: Centro de Imagens e Espectroscopia In vivo por Ressonância Magnética, Institute of Physics of São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo , São Carlos , Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernando Fernandes
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Paiva
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP , São Paulo , Brazil.
authors.forename: Beatriz Monteiro
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Longo
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP , São Paulo , Brazil ; Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health , Toronto, ON , Canada ; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute , Toronto, ON , Canada.
authors.forename: Clement
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hamani
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP , São Paulo , Brazil.
authors.forename: Luciene
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Covolan
keywords: MRI; anatomy; epilepsy; manganese; nociception; tracing method