| To obtain detailed images of blood vessels of the brain, such as the arteries that carry blood from the heart to the brain (carotid and vertebral arteries) |
| To monitor the effects of radiation therapy on brain cancer or of antibiotics on a brain abscess |
| To obtain detailed images of blood vessels of the brain and identify clots in arteries in people who have had a stroke (CTA has largely replaced cerebral angiography) |
| To identify and evaluate narrowing or blockage of arteries in the neck and head and thus assess the risk of stroke |
| To identify structural abnormalities (such as abscesses, tumors, and hydrocephalus) in the brain (images of the brain tissue are clearer and more detailed than those provided by CT) |
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| To detect a blood clot in veins of the brain (cerebral venous thrombosis) and to monitor how treatment affects this disorder |
| To identify which areas of the brain are active when a task (such as reading, writing, remembering, calculating, or moving a limb) is done |
| To estimate how much blood is flowing through a particular area of the brain |
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| To distinguish between abscesses, tumors, and strokes |
| To evaluate blood flow and metabolic activity in the brain Most often done in research studies |