Very-high-field magnetic resonance imaging: instrumentation and safety issues

Because of their advantage in terms of signal-to-noise ratio, high-field magnetic resonance imaging systems have become favored in the last few years for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) applications. In many ways the conceptual development of these high-field scanners has involved more-or-less straightforward extensions of practices at lower field strengths. However, in other ways specific engineering challenges have been encountered and largely overcome in the quest for scanners capable of realizing the advantages of high-field systems. An understanding of the technical trade-offs that can be made in terms of hardware performance is useful in deciding on the optimum system for a given fMRI application. In this article the technical issues surrounding high-field scanning are reviewed in the context of a typical brain mapping protocol. In addition there is a discussion of the safety issues related to the use of these systems.