Potential of Sodium MRI as a Biomarker for Neurodegeneration and Neuroinflammation in Multiple Sclerosis
Open Access
- 11 February 2019
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Frontiers Media SA in Frontiers in Neurology
- Vol. 10, 84
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2019.00084
Abstract
In multiple sclerosis (MS), experimental and ex vivo studies indicate that pathologic intra- and extracellular sodium accumulation may play a pivotal role in inflammatory as well as neurodegenerative processes. Yet, in vivo assessment of sodium in the microenvironment is hard to achieve. Here, sodium magnetic resonance imaging (23NaMRI) with its non-invasive properties offers a unique opportunity to further elucidate the effects of sodium disequilibrium in MS pathology in vivo in addition to regular proton based MRI. However, unfavorable physical properties and low in vivo concentrations of sodium ions resulting in low signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) as well as low spatial resolution resulting in partial volume effects limited the application of 23NaMRI. With the recent advent of high-field MRI scanners and more sophisticated sodium MRI acquisition techniques enabling better resolution and higher SNR, 23NaMRI revived. These studies revealed pathologic total sodium concentrations in MS brains now even allowing for the (partial) differentiation of intra- and extracellular sodium accumulation. Within this review we (1) demonstrate the physical basis and imaging techniques of 23NaMRI and (2) analyze the present and future clinical application of 23NaMRI focusing on the field of MS thus highlighting its potential as biomarker for neuroinflammation and -degeneration.Funding Information
- Medizinische Fakultät, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
This publication has 119 references indexed in Scilit:
- Biomedical applications of sodium MRI in vivoJournal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 2013
- Three-dimensional biexponential weighted 23 Na imaging of the human brain with higher SNR and shorter acquisition timeMagnetic Resonance in Medicine, 2012
- PCr/ATP ratio mapping of the human head by simultaneously imaging of multiple spectral peaks with interleaved excitations and flexible twisted projection imaging readout trajectories at 9.4 TMagnetic Resonance in Medicine, 2012
- Compressed sensing sodium MRI of cartilage at 7T: Preliminary studyJournal of Magnetic Resonance, 2012
- 3 Tesla Sodium Inversion Recovery Magnetic Resonance Imaging Allows for Improved Visualization of Intracellular Sodium Content Changes in Muscular ChannelopathiesInvestigative Radiology, 2011
- Mitochondrial DNA deletions and neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosisAnnals of Neurology, 2010
- Reduction of B0 inhomogeneity effects in triple-quantum-filtered sodium imagingJournal of Magnetic Resonance, 2010
- Brain tissue sodium concentration in multiple sclerosis: a sodium imaging study at 3 teslaBrain, 2010
- Regulation of Intracellular and Mitochondrial Sodium in Health and DiseaseCirculation Research, 2009
- Sodium MR Imaging Detection of Mild Alzheimer Disease: Preliminary StudyAmerican Journal of Neuroradiology, 2009