First clinically certified 7 Tesla MRI-Scanner at the Spinoza Centre

As of last week, the Amsterdam UMC has approved the 7 Tesla MRI-scanner at the Spinoza Centre for clinical use. This marks it as the first and currently only clinically certified 7 Tesla MRI in the Netherlands.

Normal MRI scanners operate on magnetic fields of 1.5 Tesla or 3 Tesla. In comparison, this ultra-high field 7 Tesla MRI scanner can provide brain scans with higher resolution or increased contrasts of small brain structures, such as deep brain nuclei or thin blood vessels.

The Department of Neurosurgery has been using this advantage in research for years, especially to accurately identify target areas for deep brain stimulation (DBS). Through several publications, they have demonstrated that high-resolution scans at 7 Tesla simplify the process of identifying target areas in the brain, such as the subthalamic nucleus, which is a common target in Parkinson’s disease treatment. Thanks to the new certification, these 7 Tesla scans are now considered as standard care for DBS patients at the Amsterdam UMC. In addition, this certification means that the 7 Tesla MRI is directly available for other neuro-applications, which may offer opportunities for patients in need of treatment for conditions such as MS, epilepsy, brain tumours, or neurovascular disorders.