Magnetic resonance imaging to visualize stroke and characterize stroke recovery: a review

The global burden of stroke continues to grow. Although stroke prevention strategies (e.g., medications, diet, and exercise) can contribute to risk reduction, options for acute interventions (e.g., thrombolytic therapy for ischemic stroke) are limited to the minority of patients. The remaining patients are often left with profound neurological disabilities that substantially impact quality of life, economic productivity, and increase caregiver burden. In the last decade, however, the future outlook for such patients has been tempered by movement toward the view that the brain is capable of reorganizing after injury. Many now view brain recovery after stroke as an area of scientific research with large potential for therapeutic advances, far into the future (Broderick and William, 2004). As a probe of brain anatomy, function and physiology, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive and highly versatile modality that promises to play a particularly important role in such research. Here we provide a basic review of MRI physical principles and applications for assessing stroke, looking toward the future role MRI may play in improving stroke rehabilitation methods and stroke recovery.