Do you use CT for rodent brain imaging?

We acquire CT images as part of our PET scanning protocol for anatomical localization and co-registration to MRI scans. However, we do not typically acquire CT scans of brain alone, as MRI has superior brain contrast compared to CT.

Can you perform CT scanning of muscles in different parts of the body?

Yes. While the hindlimb muscles are typically evaluated for atrophy in rodent models of CNS diseases, we can perform CT imaging of different muscle groups.

Computerized Tomography (CT) - In-vivo Imaging

Q: Why use CT for muscle imaging?

CT has an advantage of providing higher resolution images in a shorter period of time compared to MRI or PET. As such, it is a cost-effective modality for evaluation of muscle atrophy (e.g. hindlimb muscle volume measures).

Computerized Tomography (CT)

While preclinical CT is not typically as widely used as MRI or PET for imaging mouse models of CNS diseases, we have found it to be very effective for muscle imaging.

CT scans provide good muscle-to-bone contrast and high-resolution (<100 µm), isotropic images of muscles of the forelimbs and hindlimbs. Scans can typically be acquired in <20 minutes (including animal positioning).

We are one of the few groups in the world that can generate fully-automated, CT-based muscle atrophy measures. Our NIGHTWING™ software platform is capable of segmenting mouse and rat muscles and computing volumetric measures.

Longitudinal evaluation of muscle atrophy can be particularly useful in models of neuromuscular diseases and models with abnormal innervation due to misfolded proteins.