Chapter 19: Imaging Modalities for Manganese Toxicity

Rapidly advancing imaging technology has been essential to the study of manganese (Mn) toxicity in vivo. Over the past few decades, imaging techniques have been effectively utilized as markers of Mn exposure and to investigate the biological effects of Mn neurotoxicity. This chapter will review several of the imaging modalities that have made an impact in Mn neurotoxicity research. The scope of this chapter will include discussions of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), and functional MRI (fMRI), as well as positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and X-ray fluorescence imaging. For each modality, the basic principle of the imaging technique will be briefly described to facilitate proper data interpretation and understanding of limitations. This will be followed by a discussion on the main research findings using that modality, and how they have shaped our understanding of Mn toxicity.