Advances in magnetic resonance neuroimaging of neuropathy from degenerative spinal disorders

[SUMMARY] It is challenging to use conventional magnetic resonance imaging（MRI）to diagnose external lesions of the spinal nerves, such as the brachial plexus, and lumbar nerves, which branch off the spinal cord. In addition, the use of MRI for the quantitative evaluation of nerve damage and chronic pain has been impossible. In recent years, neuroimaging techniques such as diffusion tensor imaging（DTI）have been developed with the increased magnetic field strength of clinical scanners and improvements in pulse sequences. Spinal nerve DTI is more prone to magnetic susceptibility than that in the brain, and has yet to reach widespread clinical application. However, reports indicate that information not available from conventional MRI can be obtained. The MR neurography/T2 mapping simultaneous imaging method, SHINKEI-Quant is based on T2 weighted imaging, has less distortion than DTI, and can be applied for the functional diagnosis of cervical nerve and brachial plexus injuries. Here, we discuss if visualization of spinal nerve lesions and the associated pain can be quantified by DTI and SHINKEI-Quant, and if further progress such as functional diagnosis of neuropathy may be possible.