Editorial

Experimental Neuroradiology – Bridging the Gap

Over the past decades neuroradiology has become an indispensable element for patient care and clinical neuroscience. Techniques like MR-spectroscopy and functional MRI, but also therapeutic procedures as the embolization of aneurysms enabled new avenues for the understanding and treatment of disorders of the nervous system. Nevertheless, there has been largely a gap between clinical neuroradiology and experimental basic neuroscience. Imaging of animal models of disease has either been executed by specialized physicists or experimental neurologists, or was not part of the experimental protocol. The expertise of neuroradiologists in the interpretation of experimental neuroimaging findings was often not considered. Frequently, imaging studies are performed on high field MR-scanners with complex and expensive technical equipment. These scanners need the expertise of physicists and are not as technically stable as clinical MR-scanners. Moreover, owing to the elaborate MR-protocol only a limited number of animals can be included. Findings on high-field MRI like cell tracking or MR-microscopy can well be used for basic sciences but the application for clinical neuroradiology remains unclear.

Many neuroradiologists are not aware of the potential they have not only in clinical neuroradiology but also in experimental neuroimaging with regular clinical MR-scanners. In many instances, the quality of MR-images is sufficient for rabbit or rodent models of disease. High resolution T1-w and T2-w images can be achieved by using surface coils which are normally supplied by the manufacturer of the MR-scanner for the imaging of fingers, orbit, or wrists. Even diffusion-weighted and perfusion-weighted MR-imaging can be performed in this setting. Image quality can substantially be improved by using dedicated small animal coils. These coils allow a stable positioning of the animals and feature an integrated unit for inhalation anesthesia. Due to the optimized coil design the signal-to-noise ratio can be increased by 50–100%. Thereby, sufficient imaging of murine models can be accomplished.

Experimental neuroscience is a rapidly growing field. Animal models of stroke, multiple sclerosis, trauma, and so on have improved the understanding and therapy of these disorders. In clinical practice neuroimaging is an integral component of patient care. Why should this valuable tool be omitted in experimental disease? Why should we, as neuroradiologists, not offer our expertise in interpretation of MR-images? Basically, there is no difference in the MR-image of human multiple sclerosis and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, the corresponding animal model. Many of our colleagues working in the field of experimental neuroscience are just not aware that we can provide MR-imaging for small animals. MR-imaging should be integral component of experimental neuroscience like taking blood samples or performing the histological analysis. Experimental MR-imaging also means protection of animals: by performing serial MR-measurements the overall number of animals can substantially be reduced. Otherwise, sacrifice of the animals with histological work-up has to be performed at every time-point of disease. The imaging results we obtain with clinical scanners can immediately be transferred to clinical neuroimaging. Our participation in experimental neuroscience is not only just a service as a read-out parameter. We, as neuroradiologists, have the unique chance to combine these measurements with genuine neuroradiological interests, like the development of new contrast media or new MR-techniques. If these experimental models are performed as a team work everybody being involved will profit.

The title of this journal, Clinical Neuroradiology, may suggest that experimental scientific work is not the correct platform for this journal. By contrast, the editorial board expressly would like to encourage the submission of experimental neuroimaging studies, not only by neuroradiologists but also by our colleagues in the clinical and experimental neuroscience field.

Martin Bendszus, Würzburg