Subject tolerance of 7 T MRI examinations

• Published in: Journal of magnetic resonance imaging Vol. 38; no. 3; pp. 722 - 725
• Main Authors: Versluis, Maarten J., Teeuwisse, Wouter M., Kan, Hermien E., van Buchem, Mark A., Webb, Andrew G., van Osch, Matthias J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.09.2013; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: 7 T; Adolescent; Adult; Causality; Comorbidity; Dizziness - psychology; Female; high field; Humans; Magnetic resonance imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - psychology; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - statistics & numerical data; Male; Middle Aged; Netherlands - epidemiology; Patient Satisfaction - statistics & numerical data; Phobic Disorders - epidemiology; Phobic Disorders - psychology; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Sensation Disorders - epidemiology; Sensation Disorders - psychology; side effects; Stress, Psychological - epidemiology; Stress, Psychological - psychology; subject acceptance; Young Adult; Netherlands; side effects; magnetic resonance imaging; subject acceptance; 7 T; high field
• ISSN: 1053-1807; 1522-2586; 1522-2586
• DOI: 10.1002/jmri.23904

Purpose: To determine the subjective experiences and the sources of discomfort for subjects undergoing 7 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations on a whole‐body 7 T system in a hospital setting Materials and Methods: A postscan survey was filled out by 101 healthy subjects who participated in a 7 T examination. All participants answered questions regarding different potential sensations of discomfort including dizziness, claustrophobia, and scanner noise. Results: Dizziness was reported most frequently, with 34% of subjects experiencing dizziness while moving into the scanner and 30% while moving out of the magnet. Scanner noise was also frequently mentioned as uncomfortable (33% of the subjects). In 11% of the cases a metallic taste was reported. The overall experience was rated by 3% as unpleasant, 51% as neutral, and 46% as pleasant. Conclusion: The reported side effects are larger than previously reported for lower field strengths. However, overall, 7 T examinations are well tolerated, with only 3% of subjects rating it as unpleasant. These results agree well with previous in‐depth studies, and provide further evidence that 7 T MRI would be accepted by patients in clinical practice. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2013;38:722–725. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.