Radio-Frequency Heating at Deep Brain Stimulation Lead Electrodes Due to Imaging with Head Coils in 3 T & 7T

Devashish Shrivastava¹, Jingeng Tian¹, Aviva Abosch¹, John T. Vaughan¹

Radio-frequency (RF) heating was measured using fluoroptic probes at the deep brain stimulation (DBS) lead electrodes and 5 mm away from the distal lead tip due to head imaging with a transcieve head coil in 3 tesla (T) and 7T at the whole head average SAR of 3 W/kg. The effect of the loop orientation of the extra-cranial portion of the lead on the RF heating was studied. Clinically harmful RF heating may be produced in both fields with head coils. The RF heating was a function of the extra-cranial lead placement and head coil.