This mini-review provides an overview of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) applications to study rodent, cat, non-human primate, and human retinas. These techniques include T(1) - and T(2) -weighted anatomical, diffusion, blood flow, blood volume, blood-oxygenation level dependent, manganese-enhanced, physiological, and functional MRI. Applications to study the retinas in diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and retinal degeneration are also reviewed. MRI offers some unique advantages compared with existing imaging techniques and has the potential to further our understanding of physiology and function in healthy and diseased retinas.
Keywords: BOLD; BOLD fMRI; age-related macular degeneration; blood flow; blood volume; choroid; contrast-enhanced MRI; diabetic retinopathy; eye motion; glaucoma; manganese-enhanced MRI; ocular imaging; optical imaging; retinal degeneration; visual stimulation.
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