Diagnostic efficacy, costs, and safety of portable ultra-low field MRI in brain imaging: A systematic review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Diagnostic efficacy, costs, and safety of portable ultra-low field MRI in brain imaging

T2 - A systematic review

AU - Abate, Gebeyehu Begashaw

AU - Giampietro, Vincent

AU - Bourke, Niall

AU - Bennallick, Carly

AU - Williams, Steve

AU - Twumasi, Ricardo

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), 2026.

PY - 2026/6/24

Y1 - 2026/6/24

N2 - Background: Portable ultra-low field magnetic resonance imaging (ULF-MRI) has garnered significant attention in neuroimaging due to the high costs and accessibility issues associated with conventional high-field MRI (HF-MRI). This systematic review aims to explore the cost implications, safety issues, and diagnostic capacity of ULF-MRI compared to HF-MRI in brain imaging while also examining its feasibility, limitations, and challenges. Method: This systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines. A comprehensive search was conducted across four databases: Medline, Embase, Scopus, and the Global Health database. Additionally, the reference lists of studies identified through the database searches were examined. Studies were included if they involved brain imaging with ULF-MRI, used HF-MRI as a comparator, and reported on costs, diagnostic accuracy, safety, and/or feasibility. Results: ULF-MRI has shown feasibility and applicability in diverse settings, including emergency departments, intensive care units, and remote healthcare centres. Diagnostic capabilities have demonstrated good concordance with HF-MRI for various conditions, such as stroke (90% accuracy for ischemic infarcts), multiple sclerosis (94% detection of lesions), and intracerebral haemorrhage (80.4% to 92.1% sensitivity). Challenges of ULF-MRI include a reduced signal-to-noise ratio and lower resolution, which can affect image quality and the detection of subtle lesions. Conclusion: While ULF-MRI has shown promising diagnostic accuracy for various neurological conditions, its lower image resolution limits the detection of subtle lesions, and it cannot yet replace HF-MRI. Continued technical advancements and further research are needed to improve image quality and promote broader clinical adoption

AB - Background: Portable ultra-low field magnetic resonance imaging (ULF-MRI) has garnered significant attention in neuroimaging due to the high costs and accessibility issues associated with conventional high-field MRI (HF-MRI). This systematic review aims to explore the cost implications, safety issues, and diagnostic capacity of ULF-MRI compared to HF-MRI in brain imaging while also examining its feasibility, limitations, and challenges. Method: This systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines. A comprehensive search was conducted across four databases: Medline, Embase, Scopus, and the Global Health database. Additionally, the reference lists of studies identified through the database searches were examined. Studies were included if they involved brain imaging with ULF-MRI, used HF-MRI as a comparator, and reported on costs, diagnostic accuracy, safety, and/or feasibility. Results: ULF-MRI has shown feasibility and applicability in diverse settings, including emergency departments, intensive care units, and remote healthcare centres. Diagnostic capabilities have demonstrated good concordance with HF-MRI for various conditions, such as stroke (90% accuracy for ischemic infarcts), multiple sclerosis (94% detection of lesions), and intracerebral haemorrhage (80.4% to 92.1% sensitivity). Challenges of ULF-MRI include a reduced signal-to-noise ratio and lower resolution, which can affect image quality and the detection of subtle lesions. Conclusion: While ULF-MRI has shown promising diagnostic accuracy for various neurological conditions, its lower image resolution limits the detection of subtle lesions, and it cannot yet replace HF-MRI. Continued technical advancements and further research are needed to improve image quality and promote broader clinical adoption

KW - portable ULF-MRI

KW - cost analysis

KW - diagnostic efficacy

KW - brain imaging

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105042744204

U2 - 10.1017/cjn.2026.10632

DO - 10.1017/cjn.2026.10632

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105042744204

SN - 0317-1671

JO - Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences

JF - Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences

ER -