<unk>  (also known as 23Na-MRI) is a specialised magnetic resonance imaging technique that uses strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and radio waves to generate images of the distribution of<unk>  in the body, as opposed to more common forms of MRI that utilise protons (or hydrogen) present in water (1H-MRI). Like the proton,<unk>  is naturally abundant in the body, so can be imaged directly without the need for contrast agents or hyperpolarization. Furthermore,<unk>  ions play a role in important biological processes via their contribution to concentration and electrochemical gradients across cellular membranes, making it of interest as an imaging target in health and disease. In contrast to conventional MRI of the proton,<unk>  is complicated by the low concentrations of Na nuclei relative to concentration of H2O molecules in biological tissues (10-45 mM) and the lower gyromagnetic ratio of the 23Na nucleus as compared to a 1H nucleus,. This causes low NMR sensitivity and the requirement for a stronger magnetic field for equivalent spatial resolution. The quadrupolar 23Na nucleus also has a faster transverse relaxation rates and multiple quantum coherences as compared to the 1H nucleus, requiring specialized and high performance MRI sequences to capture information before the contrast used to image the body is lost.
Sodium MRI
Functional imaging
Magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging
Functional magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic resonance neurography
Magnetic resonance imaging
Perfusion MRI
Diffusion MRI