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Recent advances in MRI for risk prediction of carotid atherosclerotic stroke
JIA Kuiyuan  ZHANG Jiarui  YU Yang  SUN Hongzan 

Cite this article as: JIA K Y, ZHANG J R, YU Y, et al. Recent advances in MRI for risk prediction of carotid atherosclerotic stroke[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2025, 16(5): 204-209. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.05.031.


[Abstract] Carotid atherosclerosis is an important cause of ischemic stroke, and plaque stability is closely related to stroke risk. Traditional imaging modalities (e.g., ultrasound, computed tomography angiography, digital subtraction angiography) have their advantages, but they have limitations such as radiation, procedure dependence, or high cost. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the important standard for assessing plaque composition and stability due to its radiation-free, high soft tissue resolution, and multi-sequence analysis capabilities. Black blood sequences, multi-contrast imaging, dynamic contrast scanning, and special sequences such as diffusion-weighted imaging, susceptibility-weighted imaging, and 4-dimensional flow magnetic resonance imaging can accurately identify high-risk features of vulnerable plaques. This article synthesizes recent advancements in carotid MRI technology for assessing atherosclerotic plaque stability and predicting stroke risk, analyzes current challenges in multi-modal data integration and clinical translation, and proposes future directions including standardized protocols and artificial intelligence-driven modeling. These insights aim to provide methodological references for constructing personalized stroke risk prediction systems and precision intervention frameworks.
[Keywords] carotid atherosclerosis；stroke risk prediction；magnetic resonance imaging；vulnerable plaques；plaque composition analysis

JIA Kuiyuan1   ZHANG Jiarui1   YU Yang2   SUN Hongzan2*  

1 The Second Clinical College of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China

2 Department of Radiology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China

Corresponding author: SUN H Z, E-mail: sunhongzan@126.com

Conflicts of interest   None.

Received  2025-02-27
Accepted  2025-05-09
DOI: 10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.05.031
Cite this article as: JIA K Y, ZHANG J R, YU Y, et al. Recent advances in MRI for risk prediction of carotid atherosclerotic stroke[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2025, 16(5): 204-209. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.05.031.

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