Experimental nerve imaging at 1.5-T.

Experimental lesions of the peripheral nerve system can be visualized in vivo by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Many studies of the rat peripheral nervous systems were performed on dedicated animal MR scanners with a high magnetic field strength for good spatial resolution. Here, we present an MR protocol to study experimental lesions of the rat nervous system with clinical 1.5-T MR scanners and commercially available coils. Using a three-sequence approach (T1-weighted imaging, fat-saturated T2-weighted imaging and fat-saturated T1-weighted imaging with Gd-DTPA in the same plane), the relevant signal changes of the lesioned nerve can be visualized and separated from other structures, e.g., blood vessels. Furthermore, we give an overview on different types of contrast agents used for peripheral nerve MR imaging and MR findings in selected experimental models of rat peripheral nerve injury.