REVIEW PAPER
High resolution small animals dedicated magnetic resonance scanners as a tool for laboratory rodents central nervous system imaging
 
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1
Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland
 
2
Department of Radiology, The Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center, Institute of Oncology, Gliwice Branch, Poland
 
3
Department of Medical Analytics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland
 
 
Submission date: 2013-02-26
 
 
Acceptance date: 2013-07-08
 
 
Online publication date: 2013-07-09
 
 
Publication date: 2020-04-07
 
 
Corresponding author
Marek K. Jurkowski   

Department of Medical Analytics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Warszawska 30, 10-082 Olsztyn, Poland. Tel.: +48 89 524 53 30.
 
 
Pol. Ann. Med. 2013;20(1):62-68
 
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a noninvasive technique applied in medical diagnosis and for studying animal models of human diseases. MRI offers longitudinal in vivo studies without the need to sacrifice animals, thus making data easier to compare. The number of required animals can be limited.

Aim:
The aim of this article was to present the role of dedicated small animal MRI scanners in the management of central nervous system visualization and injury in rodents on the basis of the current literature.

Material and methods:
Highly specialized animal MRI scanners with a high magnetic field and small bores are used for imaging the nervous system of rodents in vivo. Compared to clinical scanners currently operating at magnetic field strengths of up to 3.0 T, dedicated animal MRI scanners operate at higher field strengths between 4.7 T and 14.1 T.

Results and discussion:
Small animal imaging results in the reduction of image quality. It is caused by a small signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The way to increase the SNR is to apply a high magnetic field. Animal MRI scanners operating at higher field strengths between 4.7 T and 14.1 T allow researchers to obtain images with high resolution, and with clearly visible structures of rodent neuroanatomy. Although MRI diagnostics is very useful in neurobiological experiments, the major drawback of dedicated animal MRI scanners is their high cost.

Conclusions:
High resolution dedicated small animal scanners of up to 14.1 T are best suited for rodent neuroanatomy imaging as well as for neurobiological experiments and their results.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST
None declared.
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