Exposure to high-field MRI does not affect cognitive function

  • Purpose To assess potential cognitive deficits under the influence of static magnetic fields at various field strengths some studies already exist. These studies were not focused on attention as the most vulnerable cognitive function. Additionally, mostly no magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences were performed. Materials and Methods In all, 25 right-handed men were enrolled in this study. All subjects underwent one MRI examination of 63 minutes at 1.5 T and one at 7 T within an interval of 10 to 30 days. The order of the examinations was randomized. Subjects were referred to six standardized neuropsychological tests strictly focused on attention immediately before and after each MRI examination. Differences in neuropsychological variables between the timepoints before and after each MRI examination were assessed and P-values were calculated Results Only six subtests revealed significant differences between pre- and post-MRI. In these tests the subjects achieved better results in post-MRI testing than in pre-MRI testing (P = 0.013–0.032). The other tests revealed no significant results. Conclusion The improvement in post-MRI testing is only explicable as a result of learning effects. MRI examinations, even in ultrahigh-field scanners, do not seem to have any persisting influence on the attention networks of human cognition immediately after exposure.

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Metadaten
Author:Marc Schlamann, Melanie A. Voigt, Stefan Maderwald, Andreas Bitz, Oliver Kraff, Susanne C. Ladd, Mark E. Ladd, Michael Forsting, Hans Wilhelm
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/jmri.22065
ISSN:1522-2586
Parent Title (English):Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Publisher:Wiley-Liss
Place of publication:New York
Document Type:Article
Language:English
Year of Completion:2010
Volume:31
Issue:5
First Page:1061
Last Page:1066
Link:https://doi.org/10.1002/jmri.22065
Zugriffsart:campus
Institutes:FH Aachen / Fachbereich Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnik
collections:Verlag / Wiley-Liss