About this Research Topic
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has progressively become a fundamental tool in the diagnosis of muscle diseases, as it is able to depict and assess the severity and distribution of muscle tissue damage. Therefore, MRI can represent a crucial complement to clinical evaluation and identification of specific patterns of damage distribution, especially in cases where clinical phenotypes are overlapping and difficult to evaluate. The recent technical advances in MR imaging have further greatly expanded the potential to assess pathological changes in muscle diseases, and they provide relevant additional information to the conventional assessment of MRI images. Now, architectural, compositional, functional and perfusional features can be studied and quantified, leading to what is known as quantitative MRI (qMRI). The development and application of such techniques in clinical practice can effectively be a great step forward in the diagnostic process, the assessment of disease course, and assessment of response to therapy.
The aim of this Research Topic is to present the current and most advanced knowledge in the field of neuromuscular disorder imaging, with attention to muscle and peripheral nerve diseases. In recent years, several imaging techniques have been applied and developed to gain further access to the ongoing pathological processes in muscles and nerves. These range from MRI to ultrasound, and several proposed features appear as promising outcome measures or surrogates for clinical trials. We feel that the reader interested in this field could really benefit from a comprehensive view of the current research in this field, and of what is promising; especially as an outcome measure and for future perspectives.
We welcome Original Research, Reviews and Brief Research Reports, with specific attention to manuscripts that discuss the possible clinical applications of imaging techniques. Manuscripts on the following themes are welcome:
• Advances in neuromuscular imaging;
• Technical improvements and recommendations in imaging;
• The role of Quantitative MRI (qMRI) as an outcome measure;
• Assessment of natural evolution of disease and, when available, of therapy response using imaging;
• Advanced application of ultrasound in muscle diseases;
The aim of this Research Topic is to present the current and most advanced knowledge in the field of neuromuscular disorder imaging, with attention to muscle and peripheral nerve diseases. In recent years, several imaging techniques have been applied and developed to gain further access to the ongoing pathological processes in muscles and nerves. These range from MRI to ultrasound, and several proposed features appear as promising outcome measures or surrogates for clinical trials. We feel that the reader interested in this field could really benefit from a comprehensive view of the current research in this field, and of what is promising; especially as an outcome measure and for future perspectives.
We welcome Original Research, Reviews and Brief Research Reports, with specific attention to manuscripts that discuss the possible clinical applications of imaging techniques. Manuscripts on the following themes are welcome:
• Advances in neuromuscular imaging;
• Technical improvements and recommendations in imaging;
• The role of Quantitative MRI (qMRI) as an outcome measure;
• Assessment of natural evolution of disease and, when available, of therapy response using imaging;
• Advanced application of ultrasound in muscle diseases;
Keywords: muscle MRI, neurography MRI, muscle ultrasound, nerve ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
