MRI scan of the brain is a very common test done in hospitals these days. This scan uses magnets and radio waves to make clear pictures of your brain. Doctors use these pictures to check the brain for any problems or diseases.
What Is an MRI of the Brain?
- MRI shows very detailed pictures of the brain and spinal cord.
- The machine works by making the hydrogen in body tissues excited, which then gives signals the machine can turn into black and white images.
- Doctors look at these images to see if anything is wrong inside the brain.
Some Basic MRI Terms
- “Hypointense” means something looks darker than normal brain tissue in the picture.
- “Hyperintense” means something looks brighter than normal brain tissue.
- Sometimes, doctors use a special chemical (contrast agent like gadolinium) to make the pictures clearer.
4 Main MRI Techniques for Brain Scans
1. T1 Weighted Technique
- This is mainly used to see the structure of the brain.
- Fat in the brain looks white in these images.
- Water and fluid appear black.
- Grey matter shows as grey, white matter as white, and bones as black.
- Sometimes, a dye or sleeping medicine is given to get a better image.
- This helps the doctor see more clearly, but it can be hard for a common person to read alone.
2. T2 Weighted Technique
- This technique is good for seeing water or fluids in the brain.
- T2 is used to find diseases or problems because water/fluid areas look very bright.
- Grey matter is grey, but white matter looks dark grey, and bones look black.
- T2 is more commonly used than T1.
- If something is wrong, like swelling or infection, it easily appears in T2-weighted images.
3. Flair Technique
- Flair stands for Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery.
- It is similar to T2 but even better at showing brain problems because fluid (like cerebrospinal fluid) looks dark instead of bright.
- This helps spot issues like swelling, strokes, or nerve problems easily.
- Good for checking areas around the center of the brain.
4. Stir Technique
- Stir means Short Tau Inversion Recovery.
- This method is mostly used to remove fat signals and focus more on water.
- In this imaging, water still looks bright, but fat and similar tissues look dark.
- This technique cannot be used with contrast dyes.
Final Words
Even if the common person cannot always read the MRI scan fully, do not worry. The doctor will always check and explain what is in the MRI scan report. These tests are important to help the doctor give the right treatment.