Niederer, P. F. (2011). Basic elements of nuclear magnetic resonance for use in medical diagnostics: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Technology & Health Care, 19(5), 373–389. https://doi.org/10.3233/thc-2011-0645
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has established itself as a major imaging modality in life science research and clinical practice. It is characterized by high spatial resolution, high soft tissue contrast, non-invasiveness, and universal applicability in terms of orientation and location of imaging areas. The procedure allows furthermore the investigation of physiological and pathophysiological processes, in particular in combination with Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). MR methodology is not exhausted, new procedures and areas of application develop widely in life science and medicine. This article is limited to basic physical aspects.
Glover, G. H. (2011). Overview of Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Neurosurgery Clinics of North America, 22(2), 133–139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nec.2010.11.001
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Feng, Y., Murphy, M.C., Hojo, E., Li, F. and Roberts, N. (2024). Magnetic Resonance Elastography in the Study of Neurodegenerative Diseases. Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 59: 82-96. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmri.28747
Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) present a major health burden to society. Changes in brain structure and cognition are generally only observed at the late stage of the disease. Although advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques such as diffusion imaging may allow identification of biomarkers at earlier stages of neurodegeneration, early diagnosis is still challenging. Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is a noninvasive MRI technique for studying the mechanical properties of tissues by measuring the wave propagation induced in the tissues using a purpose-built actuator. Here, we present a systematic review of preclinical and clinical studies in which MRE has been applied to study neurodegenerative diseases. Actuator systems for data acquisition, inversion algorithms for data analysis, and sample demographics are described and tissue stiffness measures obtained for the whole brain and internal structures are summarized. A total of six animal studies and eight human studies have been published. The animal studies refer to 123 experimental animals (68 AD and 55 PD) and 121 wild-type animals, while the human studies refer to 142 patients with neurodegenerative disease (including 56 AD and 17 PD) and 166 controls. The animal studies are consistent in the reporting of decreased stiffness of the hippocampal region in AD mice. However, in terms of disease progression, although consistent decreases in either storage modulus or shear modulus magnitude are reported for whole brain, there is variation in the results reported for the hippocampal region. The clinical studies are consistent in reports of a significant decrease in either whole brain storage modulus or shear modulus magnitude, in both AD and PD and with different brain structures affected in different neurodegenerative diseases. MRE studies of neurodegenerative diseases are still in their infancy, and in future it will be interesting to investigate potential relationships between brain mechanical properties and clinical measures, which may help elucidate the mechanisms underlying onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases.