Preclinical magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy in the fields of radiological technology, medical physics, and radiology

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an indispensable diagnostic imaging technique used in the clinical setting. MRI is advantageous over X-ray and computed tomography (CT), because the contrast provided depends on differences in the density of various organ tissues. In addition to MRI systems in hospitals, more than 100 systems are used for research purposes in Japan in various fields, including basic scientific research, molecular and clinical investigations, and life science research, such as drug discovery, veterinary medicine, and food testing. For many years, additional preclinical imaging studies have been conducted in basic research in the fields of radiation technology, medical physics, and radiology. The preclinical MRI research includes studies using small-bore and whole-body MRI systems. In this review, we focus on the animal study using small-bore MRI systems as “preclinical MRI”. The preclinical MRI can be used to elucidate the pathophysiology of diseases and for translational research. This review will provide an overview of previous preclinical MRI studies such as brain, heart, and liver disease assessments. Also, we provide an overview of the utility of preclinical MRI studies in radiological physics and technology.