What effect does increasing TR have on spatial resolution?

Increasing the repetition time (TR) in MRI impacts the way data is acquired during image formation. TR is the time interval between successive radiofrequency pulses applicable to the same slice. As TR increases, it allows more time for the protons to relax between excitations, which can lead to better image quality in terms of signal-to-noise ratio. However, spatial resolution is primarily influenced by factors such as the matrix size, field of view, and the physical characteristics of the imaging system.

While a higher TR can indeed improve the overall quality of the image by enhancing the signal intensity or contrast, it does not directly affect the spatial resolution. Spatial resolution is tied to the ability to distinguish small structures within the image, which is determined by the pixel size in the final image data. Therefore, increasing TR alone does not change the spatial resolution, as the parameters affecting resolution remain constant.

In contrast, changes in sequence type, matrix size adjustments, or field strength might influence the spatial resolution significantly.