Gavin D. Merrifield1,
Nichola M. Brydges2, Lynsey S. Hall3, Jim Mullin4,
Lindsay Gallagher4, Romain Pizzi5, William M. Holmes4
1Centre
for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Midlothian,
United Kingdom; 2Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of
Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; 3School of Molecular and Clinical
Medicine, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; 4Institute
of Neuroscience and Psychology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life
Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom; 5Zoological
Medicine Ltd, Dunfermline, United Kingdom
To assess the potential of existing MRI scanner performance to evaluate novel model animal species cardiac MRI was performed on large spiders. The acquired images were used to extract the first direct in vivo measurements of cardiac function in this type of animal. Measurements revealed a previously unknown relationship between animal mass and cardiac ejection fraction.