Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy at High Field

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy normal volunteers for imaging protocol optimization.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with implanted surgical clips (hemostatic clips) or other ferromagnetic material,
• Patients engaged in occupations or activities which may cause accidental lodging of ferromagnetic materials, or who may have imbedded metal fragments from military activities,
• Patients with permanent (tattoo) eye-liner or with facial make-up (severe eye irritation has been reported),
• Patients with compromised thermoregulatory systems (e.g. certain cancer patients),
• Patients with metallic implants, because they may cause artifacts in diagnostic images due to magnetic field distortion,
• Patients with implanted prosthetic heart valves,
• Patients with pacemakers, neuro-stimulation devices,
• Pregnant patients (the safety of magnetic resonance examination has not been completely established for embryos and fetuses),
• Subjects who have received orthodontic work involving ferromagnetic materials,
• Subjects who have claustrophobia, and
• The patients unwilling to participate in the study or fail to sign the consent form.
• Subjects who are pregnant or breast-feeding will be excluded from the contrast enhanced MRI studies.
• Subjects who had allergic response to contrast agents previously will be excluded from contrast enhanced MRI studies.
• Subjects with known history of asthma, allergic conditions, severe renal insufficiency, sickle cell anemia, chronic hemolytic anemia, gastrointestinal disorders will also be excluded from contrast enhanced MRI studies.