Stephanie I. Mok1, Jeeva Munasinghe2,
Afonso C. Silva2, W. Scott Young1
1National Institute of Mental
Health, Bethesda, MD, United States; 2National Institute of
Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, United States
Manganese-enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MEMRI) is a technique that employs the divalent ion of the paramagnetic metal manganese (Mn2+) as an effective contrast agent to visualize, in vivo, the mammalian brain. As total achievable contrast is directly proportional to the net amount of Mn2+ accumulated in the brain, there has been great interest in optimizing administration protocols to increase the effective delivery of Mn2+ to the brain while avoiding the toxic effects of overexposure. In this study, we employ the method of continuous systemic infusion of Mn2+ in the mouse brain and examine the effects of different rates of infusion on signal contrast.