In vivo magnetization transfer measurements of experimental spinal cord injury in the rat.

Magnetization transfer (MT) imaging techniques were implemented to study a clip compression model of spinal cord injury (SCI) in the rat. The purpose of this study was to determine if the magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) could be used to classify the stage and severity of SCI. Two clip compression injuries were studied: mild SCI and severe SCI. MTRs were determined for gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) regions and the GM-WM contrast was determined on days 1 and 7 following surgery. Despite differences in pathologic features of mild and severe SCI, the GM-WM contrast did not allow discrimination between the two degrees of severity of SCI. WM MTR allowed differentiation of mild and severe SCI on day 1. These preliminary results suggest that WM MTR may provide an indication of the severity of injury in SCI. Magn Reson Med 45:159-163, 2001.