Multimodal magnetic resonance imaging of the brain at different stages of rehabilitation after ischemic stroke

Abstract

Stroke is an important medical and social problem in the world and in the Russian Federation, which is due to high rates of morbidity, mortality, and disability. The basis for the development of innovative approaches to the accelerated rehabilitation of individuals after an ischemic stroke is the study of neuroplasticity using modern neuroimaging methods, such as multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).The present literature review describes diagnostic capabilities of different multimodal MRI modalities, such as functional MRI (fMRI), ASL MR perfusion, and diffusion tensor MRI, including their advantages and drawbacks in assessing rehabilitation potential of patients after ischemic stroke. These MRI modalities can be successfully utilized to study the mechanisms of neuroplasticity and identify reliable markers of a response to therapy in context of rehabilitation measures in stroke patients.It was shown that broad implementation of multimodal MRI in clinical practice is hindered by a lack of profound knowledge about its diagnostic capabilities in certain clinical settings, complexity of its use, and insufficient evidence base.