Visualization of cerebral veins and deep gray matter nuclei by susceptibility-weighted imaging: a comparative study of 5.0 T and 3.0 T imaging

OBJECTIVES: To compare the imaging performance of 5.0 T and 3.0 T susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) in visualizing cerebral veins and deep gray matter nuclei, and to assess the potential clinical implications of 5.0 T SWI. METHODS: Eight healthy adult volunteers underwent SWI scans on both 5.0 T and 3.0 T MRI systems. Two experienced radiologists assessed overall image quality and the visualization of cerebral veins and deep gray matter nuclei qualitatively (grades 1-4) and quantitatively (SNR and CNR). The detection rate of the "swallow tail" sign of the substantia nigra was also evaluated. RESULTS: The 5.0 T SWI demonstrated significantly higher image quality, with CNR improvements exceeding 50% for cerebral veins and more than doubling for multiple deep gray matter nuclei structures compared to 3.0 T. The detection rate of the "swallow tail" sign was 81.25% on 5.0 T, compared to 50% on 3.0 T. However, 5.0 T exhibited more susceptibility artifacts in regions near air-tissue interfaces. CONCLUSIONS: SWI at 5.0 T provides superior visualization of cerebral veins and specific deep gray matter nuclei compared to 3.0 T, suggesting its significant potential in enhancing anatomical visualization in neuroimaging research settings. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: This study presents a systematic comparison of 5.0 T and 3.0 T SWI in healthy adults, demonstrating that 5.0 T significantly enhances the visualization of cerebral veins and specific deep gray matter nuclei, offering superior contrast and resolution. These improvements could facilitate more precise neuroanatomical assessments and hold promise for advancing research in neurodegenerative disease.