7-Tesla vs. 1.5-Tesla or 3-Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in the Management of Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can arise from events such as concussion, brain contusion or axonal injury, and result in cerebral microhemorrhages or ischemic lesions. To detect these injuries, 1.5-Tesla (1.5T) and 3T MRI visualize hyperor hypo-intense lesions of pathology. Because 7T MRI was approved for clinical use by the FDA only recently in 2017, we conducted a systematic review of direct comparisons between 7T MRI and lower field analysis in the diagnosis and management of TBI. Our search yielded a total of three reports with 29 research subjects. The three reports describe 7T as providing higher resolution and the ability to detect a greater number of lesions in pathologic cases. However, it is unclear whether these advantages provide a significant clinical benefit that would justify its widespread adoption in assessing TBI. Clinical Relevance— This systematic review seeks to find evidence as to whether 7T MRI provides a diagnostic advantage over 1.5T or 3T MRI in the management of TBI.