3.0 T neuroimaging: technical considerations and clinical applications.

Since approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2000, human MR imaging at field strength up to 4.0 T in clinical practice and up to 8.0 T on research systems has become available. Although human MR imaging at field strengths greater than 1.5 T was performed even before 1999 on research systems, the FDA approval for clinical use and the advent of actively shielded magnets marked a new trend for MR vendors and users. Because of the potential technical benefits when moving from 1.5 T to 3.0 T, the number of 3.0 T installations is increasing continuously worldwide. This article reviews the benefits, challenges, and the current knowledge of 3.0 T whole body MR imaging and summarizes its clinical applications.