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Publications

Journal Article Review Ppublish 34 citations

PubMed: 35655840 DOI: 10.21037/qims-21-969

Neuroimaging at 7 Tesla: a pictorial narrative review.

Quant Imaging Med Surg 12(6):3406-3435

Authors: Tomohisa Okada, Koji Fujimoto, Yasutaka Fushimi, Thai Akasaka, Dinh H D Thuy, Atsushi Shima, Nobukatsu Sawamoto, Naoya Oishi, Zhilin Zhang, Takeshi Funaki, Yuji Nakamoto, Toshiya Murai, Susumu Miyamoto, Ryosuke Takahashi, Tadashi Isa

Affiliations

  • Human Brain Research Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
  • Department of Real World Data Research and Development, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
  • Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
  • Department of Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
  • Medial Innovation Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
  • Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
  • Department of Neurosurgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
  • Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.

Abstract

Neuroimaging using the 7-Tesla (7T) human magnetic resonance (MR) system is rapidly gaining popularity after being approved for clinical use in the European Union and the USA. This trend is the same for functional MR imaging (MRI). The primary advantages of 7T over lower magnetic fields are its higher signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratios, which provide high-resolution acquisitions and better contrast, making it easier to detect lesions and structural changes in brain disorders. Another advantage is the capability to measure a greater number of neurochemicals by virtue of the increased spectral resolution. Many structural and functional studies using 7T have been conducted to visualize details in the white matter and layers of the cortex and hippocampus, the subnucleus or regions of the putamen, the globus pallidus, thalamus and substantia nigra, and in small structures, such as the subthalamic nucleus, habenula, perforating arteries, and the perivascular space, that are difficult to observe at lower magnetic field strengths. The target disorders for 7T neuroimaging range from tumoral diseases to vascular, neurodegenerative, and psychiatric disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, major depressive disorder, and schizophrenia. MR spectroscopy has also been used for research because of its increased chemical shift that separates overlapping peaks and resolves neurochemicals more effectively at 7T than a lower magnetic field. This paper presents a narrative review of these topics and an illustrative presentation of images obtained at 7T. We expect 7T neuroimaging to provide a new imaging biomarker of various brain disorders.

MeSH

Noise, Brain Diseases, European Union, Neuroimaging

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