Abstract
The optimum technical conditions for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the central nervous system (CNS) in the 3-week-old kitten were investigated with a low (0.2T) magnetic field MRI unit equipped with a custom-made solenoid radio frequency (RF) coil. In the brain, T1 weighted images (TR/TE=500/38 msec) and T2 weighted images (TR/TE=1, 800/110 msec) clearly delineated each anatomical portion of the brain. In the spinal cord, T2 weighted images (TR/TE=1, 500/110 msec) demonstrated structures distinctly. These results suggest that even low magnetic field MRI can be used for noninvasive scanning of small animals including new born animals.
