MRI protocol for in vivo visualization of the Gottingen minipig brain improves targeting in experimental functional neurosurgery

Background: The Gottingen minipig is increasingly used as an animal model in experimental neuroscience as a much needed alternative to non-human primates. Accurate spatial targeting in this species in vivo is challenging, and most clinically available magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocols do not provide sufficient spatial resolution for this purpose. Thus, the aim of this study was to develop an in vivo pre-operative MRI protocol allowing direct visualization of individual nuclei of major interest in the minipig brain. Materials and methods: Three Gottingen minipigs underwent MRI using an inversion-recovery fast spin-echo sequence that was optimized with regards to the following parameters: inversion time, relaxation time, echo time and spatial and temporal resolution, giving a scan duration acceptable for the tight schedule usually employed in a neurosurgical procedure. The most optimal pulse sequence was applied in 8 Gottingen minipigs and the anatomical structures were identified. Results and conclusion: High-resolution images with excellent contrast were acquired, presenting negligible geometric distortions. Minor flow artifacts from the large neck vessels generated the most prominent artifact. Determination of coordinates necessary in experimental neurosurgery in the Gottingen minipig was considerably improved with this MRI protocol. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.