Currently, with the knowledge of the role of collateral circulation in the development of cerebral ischaemia, traditional therapeutic windows are being prolonged, with time not being the only criterion. Instead, a more personalised approach is applied to select additional patients who might benefit from active treatment. This review briefly describes the current knowledge of the pathophysiology of the development of early ischaemic changes, the capabilities of MRI to depict such changes, and the basics of the routinely used imaging techniques broadly available for the assessment of individual phases of cerebral ischaemia, and summarises the possible clinical use of routine MR imaging, including patient selection for active treatment and assessment of the outcome on the basis of imaging.

Department of Neurology Palacky University and University Hospital Olomouc Czech Republic

Department of Radiology Palacky University and University Hospital Olomouc Czech Republic

Fakultní nemocnice Olomouc Radiologická klinika Zdravotníků 248 7 779 00 Olomouc Czech Republic

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