Ischemic brain disease, vascular brain disease, and magnetic resonance angiography.

Rapid, accurate diagnosis and successful implementation of new stroke therapies will depend on the refinement and skilled use of neuroimaging. Because a variety of MR techniques offer information on local brain biochemistry, blood flow, perfusion, vascular integrity, ischemia, edema or free water, infarction, and hemorrhage, there is intense interest in their application to cerebrovascular disease. This review highlights recent advances in MR technology as they relate to conventional MR imaging, MR angiography, and basic MR research into the use of diffusion, perfusion, and spectroscopic techniques.