Middlebrooks EH et al. Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville; Amsterdam UMC; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Western University, London (ON)
Published in the Journal of Neurosurgery 1)
A Consensus/Technique article presenting multi-institutional expert consensus on the clinical application and technical optimization of 7‑Tesla MRI in deep brain stimulation (DBS) planning.
7T MRI enables superior visualization of DBS targets—subthalamic nucleus, globus pallidus internus (GPi), and thalamus—due to increased spatial resolution, enhanced contrast, and higher signal-to-noise ratio.
The paper outlines:
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Standardized imaging sequences
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Distortion correction methods
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Artifact mitigation strategies
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Post‑processing workflows
All recommendations are grounded in experience across >1000 DBS cases.
🔍 Critical Appraisal
➕ Strengths
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Extensive real‑world experience from multiple high‑volume centers (>1 000 cases)
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Provides reproducible and practical imaging protocols
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Addresses technical pitfalls specific to ultrahigh‑field MRI (e.g., geometric distortion, susceptibility artifacts)
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Multi‑institutional consensus improves external validity
➖ Weaknesses