Abstract
The advantages of ultra-high magnetic field (7 Tesla) MRI for basic science research and neuroscience applications have proven invaluable. Structural and functional MR images of the human brain acquired at 7 T exhibit rich information content with potential utility for clinical applications. However, (1) substantial increases in susceptibility artifacts, and (2) geometrical distortions at 7 T would be detrimental for stereotactic surgeries such as deep brain stimulation (DBS), which typically use 1.5 T images for surgical planning. Here, we explore whether these issues can be addressed, making feasible the use of 7 T MRI to guide surgical planning. Twelve patients with Parkinson's disease, candidates for DBS, were scanned on a standard clinical 1.5 T MRI and a 7 T MRI scanner. Qualitative and quantitative assessments of global and regional distortion were evaluated based on anatomical landmarks and transformation matrix values. Our analyses show that distances between identical landmarks on 1.5 T vs. 7 T, in the mid-brain region, were less than one voxel, indicating a successful co-registration between the 1.5 T and 7 T images under these specific imaging parameter sets. On regional analysis, the central part of the brain showed minimal distortion, while inferior and frontal areas exhibited larger distortion due to proximity to air-filled cavities. We conclude that 7 T MR images of the central brain regions have comparable distortions to that observed on a 1.5 T MRI, and that clinical applications targeting structures such as the STN, are feasible with information-rich 7 T imaging.
Highlights
The advantages of ultra-high field (7 Tesla (T) and beyond) MRI machines for basic science research and neuroscience applications, have proven to be invaluable [1,2,3].Functional MRI studies conducted at high-fields, capitalizing on the enhanced sensitivity and specificity of the measured blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signals, successfully demonstrated the mapping of functional organizations of neuronal architectures in cerebral cortex at unprecedented levels of details [4,5]
Structural images of the human brain acquired at 7 T exhibit rich informational content with potential utility for clinical applications [6,7,8,9]
We demonstrate that the common practice for brain surgery planning, where coregistering clinical stereotactic 1.5 T MR images to CT images is done in order to correct possible geometric distortion, can be applied in a straightforward way for 7 T images
Summary
The advantages of ultra-high field (7 Tesla (T) and beyond) MRI machines for basic science research and neuroscience applications, have proven to be invaluable [1,2,3].Functional MRI (fMRI) studies conducted at high-fields, capitalizing on the enhanced sensitivity and specificity of the measured blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signals, successfully demonstrated the mapping of functional organizations of neuronal architectures in cerebral cortex at unprecedented levels of details [4,5]. Structural (i.e., anatomical) images of the human brain acquired at 7 T exhibit rich informational content with potential utility for clinical applications [6,7,8,9] Such publications have led to a continued growth of interest in high-field MRI for research and clinical applications, and continued support of 7 T product lines by the major manufacturers. Those of most concern are: (1) increased power deposition, (2) the substantial increase in susceptibility artifacts, and perhaps most important for surgical applications, (3) geometrical distortion All of these confounds increase with magnetic field strength, and can significantly compromise image acquisition, and interpretability of the images. Due to the unique contributions of 7 T MRI mentioned above, the question to be addressed is whether 7 T MRI can be of use for clinical applications
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
