Magnetic resonance imaging of hyperbaric oxygen treated rats with spinal cord injury: preliminary studies

Narayana PA, Kudrle WA, Liu SJ, Charnov JH, Butler BD, Harris JH Jr.

Department of Radiology, University of Texas Medical School, Houston 77030.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been performed to assess the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment on experimental spinal cord injury in a rat animal model. A moderately severe injury, similar to Type III injury seen in humans (Kulkarni et al. Radiology 164:837;1987) has been chosen for these studies. An improvement in the neurologic recovery (based on Tarlov scale) has been observed following HBO treatment over a period of 72 hr. Based on MRI, HBO treatment appears to arrest the spread of hemorrhage and resolve edema.

Magn Reson Imaging. 1991;9(3):423-8

PMID: 1881262 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]