Question 1
Which artifact is most common in MRI?
Correct Answer:
Ghosting from motion
Explanation:
Motion-related ghosting is the most common MRI artifact because patient movement during data acquisition introduces phase errors that do not cancel out between successive line acquisitions. MRI collects data over several seconds, so even small movements from breathing, swallowing, or restlessness create inconsistencies that manifest as duplicate, ghost-like copies of anatomy shifted along the phase-encode direction. This type of artifact routinely appears across many sequences and body regions, making it the most frequent issue seen in clinical practice. Chemical shift artifact, while common near fat–water interfaces, arises from separate resonance frequencies of fat and water and shows up as misregistration or a bright band at fat boundaries—not as universally encountered as motion ghosts. Aliasing occurs when the field of view is too small and wraps anatomy into the opposite side of the image; it’s sequence- and setup-dependent rather than universally pervasive. Zipper artifact results from hardware or external interference and tends to be localized and intermittent.
Question 2
Per the ACR, a pregnant patient may safely undergo MRI at which stage of gestation?
Correct Answer:
Any stage
Explanation:
MRI does not use ionizing radiation, so there isn’t a gestational stage that inherently makes it unsafe. The main factor is clinical necessity and applying standard safety precautions. Therefore, MRI can be performed at any stage of pregnancy when it’s clearly indicated, with the exam planned to minimize any risk—using non-contrast imaging when possible and adhering to safety limits for SAR and acoustic exposure. If contrast (gadolinium) is considered, it’s generally avoided in pregnancy because of potential fetal risks, and would only be used if the diagnostic information is essential and benefits clearly outweigh risks, with informed consent and the lowest reasonable dose.
Question 3
In a spin echo pulse sequence, which eliminates T2 effects by rephasing transverse magnetization?
Correct Answer:
180 degree RF pulse
Explanation:
The key idea is that rephasing transverse magnetization recovers signal that would otherwise be lost to dephasing. After the initial 90-degree flip, spins in slightly different local magnetic fields begin to accumulate phase at different rates, causing the transverse signal to decay faster than true T2 due to field inhomogeneities (T2* effects). Introducing a 180-degree RF pulse flips the spins in the transverse plane, so their subsequent phase evolution proceeds in the opposite direction. At a later time, the spins come back into phase, producing a spin echo. This refocusing cancels the dephasing caused by static field inhomogeneities, so the remaining signal decay reflects true T2 relaxation rather than T2*. The frequency-encoding and slice-select gradients SAMPLEmainly govern spatial encoding and selection and do not cause this rephasing.
Question 4
Increasing TR results in which effect on scan time?
Correct Answer:
Lengthens
Explanation:
Increasing TR means each repetition takes longer, so the total acquisition time grows. Scan time is roughly TR multiplied by the number of repetitions (and other factors like phase-encoding steps and averages remain constant), so lengthening TR lengthens the overall scan time. It wouldn’t shorten it, and while TR also influences image contrast (T1 effects), the question focuses on timing, which shows the increase in scan time.
Question 5
To increase spatial resolution without affecting scan time, an MRI tech can do?
Correct Answer:
Decrease FOV
Explanation:
Spatial resolution comes from the size of the voxels, which is basically the field of view divided by how many phase-encoding samples you acquire. If you want finer detail without making the scan take longer, shrink the field of view while keeping the matrix size the same. That makes each voxel smaller, so you see more detail, but the total number of phase-encoding steps—and thus the time to acquire them—stays the same, so the scan time isn’t increased. Just be mindful that a smaller FOV can cause aliasing if anatomy extends outside the FOV, so coverage must match the region of interest or you need anti-aliasing strategies. Rationale for not selecting the other options: increasing the number of excitations boosts signal-to-noise ratio but also increases scan time and does not improve spatial resolution per unit time; decreasing the matrix size enlarges voxels and reduces resolution; increasing the repetition time lengthens the scan, again not improving resolution without changing time.
Question 1
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Prepare with the MRI Physics and Clinical Applications Practice Exam practice quiz. This question bank includes 10 questions covering pulse, increasing, effect, scan, and gradient. Use it to review important concepts, identify knowledge gaps, and build confidence for the related exam, course, or assessment.

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MRI Physics and Clinical Applications Practice Exam

This practice set contains 10 questions from the matching question bank and focuses on pulse, increasing, effect, scan, and gradient. Work through each question carefully, review the provided solutions, and revisit topics that need more study before your next attempt.

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