What are the advantages of using MRI to diagnose stroke?
MRI with diffusion-weighted imaging is particularly helpful in evaluating patients with low-risk TIA and mild neurological symptoms, and can help with patient education and prognostication. Predictive scores that incorporate MRI findings, such as ABCD2-I and -I, are better able to discriminate high risk of early stroke from low risk of early stroke when MRI is done within 7 days of onset of symptoms. MRI may also be useful in identifying systemic conditions that may be the initial manifestation of stroke, allowing for the appropriate treatment.