Manganese-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Neurobiology
Summary
Manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) employs the paramagnetic properties of Mn2+ as a calcium analogue to achieve high-contrast visualisation of neuronal structures and activity. Following systemic or focal administration, Mn2+ enters excitable cells through voltage-gated calcium channels and is transported along axons in an anterograde fashion, enabling in vivo mapping of neuroanatomical pathways, neuronal connectivity and activity-dependent processes. T1-weighted imaging sequences detect localised Mn2+ accumulation via shortened longitudinal relaxation times, providing both structural and functional information without ionising radiation. This modality has been applied extensively in animal models to study neural development, circuit remodelling, disease progression and therapeutic interventions. Advances in chelated formulations and co-administration strategies have improved safety profiles and dosing precision, opening avenues for translational research. MEMRI thus offers a unique bridge between microscopic cellular events and whole-brain dynamics, with global relevance for understanding brain function in health and disease.
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Manganese-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Neurobiology publication trend
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Technical terms
Manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI): An MRI technique using Mn2+ as a paramagnetic contrast agent to map neuronal pathways and activity.
Paramagnetic contrast agent: A substance with unpaired electrons that enhances MRI signal by shortening relaxation times.
Voltage-gated calcium channels: Transmembrane proteins that permit Ca2+ and Mn2+ entry into excitable cells in response to membrane depolarisation.
Anterograde axonal transport: Microtubule-mediated movement of molecules from the neurone’s soma to its synaptic terminals.
T1-weighted imaging: An MRI sequence sensitive to longitudinal relaxation differences, used to detect Mn2+ accumulation as contrast enhancement.
References
- Harnessing axonal transport to map reward circuitry: Differing brain-wide projections from medial prefrontal cortical domains. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology (2023).
- In vivo tracing of the ascending vagal projections to the brain with manganese enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. Frontiers in Neuroscience (2023).
- Manganese-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Overview and Central Nervous System Applications With a Focus on Neurodegeneration. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience (2018).
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