How does doubling the slice thickness affect voxel volume and SNR?

Doubling the slice thickness directly impacts the voxel volume and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in MRI imaging. When the slice thickness is increased, the volume of the voxel—essentially the three-dimensional pixel—also increases, because voxel volume is calculated as the product of slice thickness, and the area of the pixel in the plane of the image.

In this case, doubling the slice thickness means that the thickness dimension of the voxel becomes twice as thick, leading to a doubling of the overall voxel volume. This is significant because larger voxels encompass more tissue, which can improve the SNR. Larger voxels tend to collect more signals from the surrounding tissue, reducing the effect of noise and ultimately enhancing the SNR.

Thus, increasing the slice thickness not only doubles the voxel volume but also improves the SNR, aligning with the correct option. This relationship is crucial for optimizing image quality and achieving clearer MRI scans, which is essential in clinical practice and diagnostic imaging.