What is one major consequence of anatomical motion during MRI scanning?

• A. Ghosting artifacts
• B. Increased image resolution
• C. Consistent imaging quality
• D. Decreased processing time

Answer: (A)

One major consequence of anatomical motion during MRI scanning is the creation of ghosting artifacts. These artifacts occur when the patient moves during the scan, causing the signal information to overlap and create unwanted patterns or duplicate images within the final MRI results. This can lead to misinterpretation of the images, as the ghosting may obscure important anatomical details or mimic pathology, affecting the diagnostic quality of the scan significantly.

In contrast, other options like increased image resolution, consistent imaging quality, and decreased processing time do not properly relate to the effects of anatomical motion. Motion typically degrades image quality rather than enhancing it or maintaining consistency. Additionally, it does not typically lead to faster processing times, as the presence of artifacts often necessitates longer processing or additional post-processing to correct for these distortions. Thus, ghosting artifacts stand out as a direct consequence of motion during MRI scanning, impacting the utility and clarity of the images.