Ultra-High-Field MR Imaging: Research Tool or Clinical Need?

This work describes the potential and challenges of ultra-high-field (≥7 T) MRI for clinical research. Ultra-high-field substantially increases the signal-to-noise ratio, or, alternatively, spatial resolution or imaging speed. Besides, image contrast changes, due to changed tissue properties. Ultra-high-field imaging has been performed mainly in neuroimaging, for which a comprehensive imaging protocol, including spin-echo-based sequences, has become available. Applications in patients show a trend towards bridging the gap between anatomy and function, between imaging and histology, and between imaging and (surgical) intervention. Imaging beyond the brain, is, thus far, predominantly at the stage of technical developments and explorative studies on volunteers.