ABSTRACT
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become the mainstay of radiological techniques in diagnostic imaging and the technique of choice for assessing diseases of the central nervous system. Its utility in experimental research using laboratory animals has inevitably lagged behind its clinical counterpart due, in part, to equipment costs and requirements for qualiÞed operators. However with technological advances, increased availability, and deeper understanding of its physiological speciÞcity and capabilities, the utility of MRI in experimental research is assured. Its success in clinical practice and now in experimental research — an impressive achievement considering MRI was introduced into clinical medicine a little over two
decades ago — is due to its ßexibility and speciÞcity to the altered pathophysiology of disease.
