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Spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging: methods and applications

WEI Zhao-Xing^1,2, WANG Ji-Yuan^1,2, TIAN Guang-Yue^1,2, KONG Ya-Zhuo^1,2,*

¹CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China；²Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China

Abstract

Spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an advanced imaging technique (mainly in the cervical cord) and has been gradually used in basic scientific research such as human sensation and motor function, and clinical applications such as spinal cord injury, myelitis, and chronic pain, etc. The development of spinal cord MRI is still at the early stage compared with brain MRI and limited by the current MRI technology and data analysis methods. This review focuses on the methods and applications of spinal cord MRI technology in the basic research fields of cognitive neuroscience and clinical application. Firstly, we will introduce the imaging principle, methods, measurement standards, and applications of most commonly used multimodal spinal cord MRI techniques, including quantitative spinal cord MRI (such as structural, diffusion, spectroscopy, myelin water, magnetization transfer, and chemical exchange saturation transfer imaging, etc.) and spinal functional MRI (fMRI). Secondly, we will discuss the technical challenges and possible solutions of spinal cord MRI data processing from the three dimensions of denoising, data processing pipeline optimization, and repeatability and reliability. Finally, we will discuss the application status and development prospects of spinal cord MRI. 

Key words: spinal cord MRI; quantitative MRI; spinal fMRI; myelopathy

Received: 2020-10-20　　Accepted: 2021-02-26

Corresponding author: 孔亚卓　　E-mail: kongyz@psych.ac.cn

DOI: 10.13294/j.aps.2021.0037

Citing This Article：

WEI Zhao-Xing, WANG Ji-Yuan, TIAN Guang-Yue, KONG Ya-Zhuo. Spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging: methods and applications. Acta Physiol Sin 2021; 73 (3): 369-388 (in Chinese with English abstract).