Ultrahigh-field MRI: where it really makes a difference.

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Neuroscience
• Biomarkers

Background:

• Two major vendors offer FDA-approved 7‑Tesla (T) MRI scanners for clinical use.
• Growing interest in ultrahigh-field MRI stems from enhanced morphological, functional, and metabolic imaging capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the clinical applications and potential of 7‑T MRI in various medical fields.
• To highlight the advantages of 7‑T MRI over lower field strengths.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing the higher signal-to-noise ratio of 7‑T systems.
• Leveraging supralinear increases in blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) contrast for functional MRI and susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI).
• Employing linear increases in chemical shift for higher spectral resolution.

Main Results:

• 7‑T MRI visualizes cortical lesions, central vein sign, and paramagnetic rim lesions in multiple sclerosis (MS), aiding differential diagnosis and prognosis.
• High-resolution MR spectroscopic imaging provides insights into tumor metabolism, grading, and early MS metabolic changes.
• Sodium imaging shows potential for evaluating cartilage repair and monitoring osteoarthritis treatments.
• Improved detection of epileptogenic foci in the brain.

Conclusions:

• 7‑T MRI is emerging as a potential new standard for specific clinical applications.
• Key applications include SWI in MS, MR spectroscopic imaging in tumors, MS, and epilepsy, and sodium imaging in cartilage repair.