| Imaging technique |
Function |
Advantages offered |
| X-ray |
Imaging of bony structures |
Detecting fractures. |
| Computed Tomography (CT) |
3D X-ray imaging of an object (e.g., brain and skull). |
Detecting fractures, injuries and abnormalities for emergency surgical treatment |
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) |
Radiofrequency pulses to detect changes in spin signal of hydrogen atoms. |
Detecting gray and white matter structures, brain stem areas,subacute hemorrhages and macroscopic areas of white matter damage. Better resolution for soft tissue. |
| Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI)/ Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) |
MRI sequence that uses the diffusion properties of water to detect microstructural tissue. |
Detecting white matter integrity or damage, microscopic white matter damage and trace specific tracts of the brain |
| Susceptibility Weighted Imaging (SWI) |
MRI technique used for susceptibility differences among structures (e.g., oxygenated vs. deoxygenated blood and iron). |
Detecting areas of micro hemorrhage, gray- white matter junctions, |
| Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) |
Produce a spectrum for individual chemicals or metabolites can be identified and concentrations can be measured. |
Detecting structural damage or changes, neuronal health, neurotransmission, hypoxia and other brain functions. |
| Positron Emission Tomography (PET) |
Uses radiotracers labeled with different isotopes that emit signals indicating areas of uptake or binding in the brain, most commonly used is 18- Fluorodeoxyglucose, an analog of glucose. |
Detecting concentration of a chemical or protein in the brain such as the amount of glucose, which reflects activity, or the density of a type of protein such as beta amyloid, a hallmark of neurodegenerative disease. |
