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Updated: May 29, 2026

Functional Neuroimaging Using Ultrasonic Blood-brain Barrier Disruption and Manganese-enhanced MRI
08:36

Functional Neuroimaging Using Ultrasonic Blood-brain Barrier Disruption and Manganese-enhanced MRI

Published on: July 12, 2012

Manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging

Susann Boretius1, Jens Frahm

  • 1Biomedizinische NMR Forschungs GmbH am Max-Planck-Institut für biophysikalische Chemie, 37077 Göttingen, Germany. sboreti@gwdg.de

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|August 30, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI) uses manganese ions to visualize brain structures and activity in animals. Optimizing manganese dosage is crucial due to potential toxicity, requiring careful study design for accurate neuroscience research.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Biomedical Imaging
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • Manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) visualizes biological processes by exploiting manganese ions' T1 relaxation shortening effect.
  • Manganese ions accumulate in tissues, entering cells via calcium channels and axonal transport, enabling high-resolution imaging in experimental animals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a comprehensive overview of manganese pharmacokinetics, toxicity, and MEMRI applications in neuroscience.
  • To detail experimental methods and protocols for utilizing MEMRI in both healthy and diseased animal models.

Main Methods:

  • Review of manganese pharmacokinetics and toxicity mechanisms.
  • Description of in vivo manganese administration and cellular uptake pathways (e.g., voltage-gated calcium channels).
  • Explanation of axonal transport of manganese in the nervous system.

Main Results:

  • MEMRI combines high spatial resolution MRI with functional information from manganese accumulation.
  • The technique is valuable for delineating neuroanatomy, assessing brain activity, and mapping neuronal connectivity.
  • Successful MEMRI requires minimizing manganese dosage due to cellular toxicity.

Conclusions:

  • MEMRI is a powerful tool for neuroscience research, offering insights into brain structure and function.
  • Careful consideration of manganese behavior, toxicity, and dosage is essential for reliable MEMRI studies.
  • This chapter provides foundational knowledge for researchers applying MEMRI in neuroscience.

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