X-Nico

3 unusual facts about MRI contrast agent


Quantitative susceptibility mapping

The voxel intensity in QSM is linearly proportional to the underlying tissue apparent magnetic susceptibility, which is useful for chemical identification and quantification of specific biomarkers including iron, calcium, gadolinium, and super paramagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nano-particles.

Due to its quantitative nature and sensitivity to certain kinds of material, potential QSM applications include standardized quantitative stratification of cerebral microbleeds and neurodegenerative disease, accurate gadolinium quantification in contrast enhanced MRI, and direct monitoring of targeted theranostic drug biodistribution in nanomedicine.

Spin–lattice relaxation

The presence of strongly magnetic ions or particles (e.g. ferromagnetic, paramagnetic) also strongly alter T1 values and are widely used as MRI contrast agents.



see also