What is a disadvantage of lower receiver bandwidth in MRI?

In MRI, lower receiver bandwidth can lead to increased chemical shift artifact. This occurs because a narrower bandwidth allows for less frequency distinction between adjacent chemical environments, such as fat and water signals. When the bandwidth is reduced, the demarcation between these signals blurs, potentially resulting in artifacts that can affect the overall image quality.

In MRI, chemical shift artifacts are particularly problematic when imaging areas where fat and water are in close proximity, such as in the abdomen. With a lower bandwidth, the system may not effectively separate these signals, leading to misregistration of voxel information and a distortion that can mimic pathology or obscure true anatomical detail.

Understanding this principle is crucial for MRI technologists in order to optimize imaging protocols, ensuring that artifacts are minimized and diagnosis is accurate.