Consideration of physiological response in numerical models of temperature during MRI of the human head.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the thermal effects of the physiological response to heating during exposure to radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with a head-specific volume coil.


METHODS
Numerical methods were used to calculate the temperature elevation in MRI of the human head within volume coils from 64-400 MHz at different power levels both with and without consideration of temperature-induced changes in rates of metabolism, perspiration, radiation, and perfusion.


RESULTS
At the highest power levels currently allowed in MRI for head volume coils, there is little effect from the physiological response as predicted with existing methods. This study does not rule out the possibility that at higher power levels or in different types of coils (such as extremity or whole-body coils) the physiological response may have more significant effects.


CONCLUSIONS
In modeling temperature increase during MRI of the human head in a head-sized volume coil at up to 3.0 W/kg head-average specific energy absorption rates, it may not be necessary to consider thermally induced changes in rates of metabolism, perfusion, perspiration, and radiation.
Wang
Zhangwei
Z
Center for NMR Research, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, USA.
Lin
James C
JC
Vaughan
J Thomas
JT
Collins
Christopher M
CM
D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D006257:Head / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008954:Models, Biological; D011829:Radiation Dosage