Noninvasive Brain Imaging in Small Animal Stroke Models: MRI, PET, and SPECT

Acute brain damage after stroke produces remarkable changes in the brain that can be visualized with a variety of neuroimaging techniques. Some of these techniques are used in patients for diagnostic purposes and are now available to image the rodent brain. However, noninvasive imaging of the brain of rodents is challenging because of the size of the animals and the fact that their handling normally requires sedation or deep anesthesia to avoid stress and movement during image acquisition. In this chapter we will discuss the purpose, advantages, and difficulties of applying magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (part A), positron emission tomography (PET) (part B), and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) (part C) to image the ischemic brain in rodents.