Magnetic resonance imaging at 9.4 T as a tool for studying neural anatomy in non-vertebrates.

This report describes magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods we have developed at 9.4 T for observing internal organs and the nervous system of an invertebrate organism, the crayfish, Cherax destructor. We have compared results acquired using two different pulse sequences, and have tested manganese (Mn(2+)) as an agent to enhance contrast of neural tissues in this organism. These techniques serve as a foundation for further development of functional MRI and neural tract-tracing methods in non-vertebrate systems.