AMERICAN BOARD OF MEDICAL PHYSICS,
INC.
STUDY
GUIDE 2010
"Part
I - Magnetic Resonance Science"
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Physics main page
Announcement
The American Board of Medical Physics offers Certification in
Magnetic Resonance Imaging by examination, which began in 1998.
Applicants are required to pass either the ABMP’s
Part I examination in General Medical Physics (which can also be
applied toward partial completion of certification in Medical Health
Physics) or the Part I examination in MRI Science, described below. Alternatively, those who
wish to waive the requirement to take the Part I examination, should
submit written documentation indicating that they have already passed
the Part I examination in Medical Physics administered by the American
Board of Radiology or its equivalent.
The Part I examination is a written exam and consists of
matching (Type B), multiple choice (Type A), and multiple true-false
questions (Type K). Examples of these types of test items are
given below. The
examination is
designed to determine the competence of the candidate in fundamental
aspects of various areas of science that are directly related to use of
magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy as a clinical diagnostic
modality, adjunct to medical therapeutic regimens and scientific
research tool for studies on human beings.
Upon successfully passing the prerequisite examination (Part
I) in MRI Science and both the written (Part II) and oral (Part III)
examinations in Magnetic Resonance Imaging Physics, the candidate may
be identified as a Certified Medical Physicist or more specifically, as
a Diplomate of the
American Board of Medical Physics with a Special Competence in Magnetic
Resonance Imaging Physics.
The Examination Panel
Terry M. Button, Ph.D., Chair
Matthew Bernstien, Ph.D.
Geoffrey D. Clarke, Ph.D.
Jeffrey L. Duerk, Ph.D.
Edward F. Jackson, Ph.D.
Carl R. Keener, Ph.D.
Douglas Morris, Ph.D.
Pottumarthi Prasad, Ph.D.
Michael Smith, Ph.D.
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Examination Content Outline
|
SUBJECT
|
WEIGHT
|
|
Atomic & Nuclear Physics
|
15%
|
|
Chemistry & Biochemistry
|
15%
|
|
Anatomy & Physiology
|
15%
|
|
Medical Biophysics
|
10%
|
|
Imaging Science and Image Processing
|
15%
|
|
Medical & Radiological
Practice
|
10%
|
|
Clinical Statistics & Random
Error Analysis
|
10%
|
ATOMIC AND NUCLEAR PHYSICS
The Electromagnetic Spectrum:
- The major divisional components of
the spectrum and their frequency, wavelength and energy relationships.
The Electronic Structure of Atoms:
- Electronic energy states
- electron spin and magnetic moment
- periodic table
- the source of magnetism in
transition elements
Nuclear Structure:
- nucleon and elementary particle
composition of nuclei
- Nuclear spin angular momentum and
magnetic moment
- Modes of radioactive decay and
their mathematical descriptions
Interactions of Radiation with
Matter:
- Interaction of ionizing and
non-ionizing radiation with matter (tissue) and with emphasis on low
energy photon dissipation and subsequent hazard.
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CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
Molecular Bonding:
- Ionic bonding
- Covalent bonding
- van der
Waals interactions
- Hydrogen bonding
Molecular Architecture:
- Role of the atomic valence state in
governing the 3D molecular structure and its electrical properties
Biologically Important Molecules:
- Amino acids giving rise to proteins
- Glucose giving rise to carbohydrates
- Fatty acids giving rise to lipids
Energy Metabolism:
- Concepts of pH and free energy
- Roles of ATP, ADP and phosphocreatine
- Krebs cycle (citric acid cycle)
- Protien synthesis
Brain Biochemistry:
- Aerobic glycolosis
- Anaerobic glycolosis
- Fatty acid oxidation
Biochemistry of Exogenous Compounds:
- Neuron-astrocite
amino acid neurotransmitter cycle
- Phosphoinositide system
- Fluorinated anti-cancer drugs, anesthetics,etc.
- Fluorodeoxyglucose metabolism.
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ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY
Central Nervous System:
- The major structural components of
the brain
- Their function plus spinal cord
anatomy
- Peripheral distribution of spinal
nerves.
Cardiovascular System:
- Anatomy of the heart and its
functional components
- Function of the heart on
electrocardiogram
- The vascular system and the
circulation and function of blood
- Renal, urinary tract and
reproductive system anatomy, plus renal function.
Musculoskeletal System:
- Anatomy of the vertebral column,
limbs and knee joint
- Articulation of the knee and
organization of muscle fibres
and their contraction
Genitourinary System:
- Examples of typical anatomical and
physiological features readily seen in MR images
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MEDICAL
BIOPHYSICS
Mechanics of Bulk Fluids:
- Physical characteristics of
non-viscous Newtonian fluids.
- Laminar flow and Reynolds number.
- Physical characteristics of
non-Newtonian fluids
- Pulsatile
flow and tissue blood flow
Micro-movement of Fluids:
Active membrane Transport:
- Sodium and potassium pumps
- Glucose transporter
Bioelectricity & Biomagnetism:
- Electrical properties of nerve.
- Principles of the electrocardiogram.
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IMAGING SCIENCE AND IMAGE PROCESSING
Imaging Modalities:
- X-ray Imaging
- sources of contrast
- image receptors
- Dynamic Imaging (Fluoroscopy)
- Computed Tomography
- Concept of filtered back-projection reconstruction
- Nuclear Medicine Imaging
- Radiation detectors
- Image formation (planar, Anger camera, SPECT, PET)
- Common radiopharmaceuticals and their applications.
Image Quality:
- Spatial resolution
- point and line spread functions
- modulation transfer function.
- Image Noise
- Signal to noise ratio
- Rose criterion.
- Image Contrast
- Subject contrast
- Instrument contrast
- Contrast-to-noise ratio.
Image Processing:
- back-projection reconstruction
- Fourier sampling reconstruction
- Basic image processing: smoothing,
edge enhancement, zero-filling.
- Convolution and deconvolution
- digital low pass (Hanning, Hamming &
Butterworth)
- Image enhancements (smoothing, edge
sharpening)
- Modality Comparisons: Image quality and diagnostic
strengths of radiography (film, CR & DR) MRI, CT, SPECT
& PET.
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MEDICAL
AND RADIOLOGICAL PRACTICE
- Basic Medical Imaging Terminology:
Terminology encountered in the daily functions of a
fully equipped, practicing diagnostic imaging facility.
- Imaging Contrast Agents:
Their purpose, efficacy and safety and cost.
- The Scope of MRI in a Radiology
Department: The contribution which MRI
makes in a typical diagnostic imaging facility to the diagnosis of
cancer (e.g. breast cancer), of diseases of the CNS, (e.g., white
matter disease, stroke, and spinal disorders), of cardiovascular
disease (e.g., great vessel integrity), in addition to the therapeutic
contributions in stereotactic
and radio surgery.
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CLINICAL
STATICTICS AND RANDOM ERROR ANALYSIS
- Location
and Dispersion Indices:
- Mean
- Median
- Mode
- Variance
- Standard
deviation
- Full
Width at Half Maximum (FWHM)
- Statistical
Distributions:
- Binomial
distribution
- Poisson
distribution
- Gaussian
distribution
- Rayleigh distribution
- Tests
of Hypotheses:
- Student's
t-test and power analysis
- Chi-squared
test
- Linear least squares fitting:
- Least
squares analysis (linear, logarithmic)
- Lagrangian interpolation.
- Measurements of Clinical Accuracy
& Agreement
- Sensitivity,
specificity, accuracy
- Positive
and negative predictive values
- Bayesian
analysis
- Bland
-Altman analysis
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EXAMPLES
OF TEST ITEMS
Type A
(one question per item):
1. Which type of detector is typically used for
modern x-ray computed tomography imaging?
- Radio frequency coil
- Piezoelectric crystal
- Ceramic scintillator
- Cesium iodide crystal
- Geiger counter
2. The “power” of a statistical
test is equal to:
- 6*a/N
- g
- C2
- 1-b
- r-1
3. An x-ray examination in which dye is injected
into the dura surrounding the spinal cord and nerves is called:
- myelography
- radiculopathy
- salpinography
- angiography
- craniography
Type B (multiple questions per item):
B01. Match the enzyme with the biochemical process:
- phosphogluomutase
- glucose 6-phosphotase
- pyruvate kinase
- phosphoglycerate kinase
- creatine kinase
2. phosphorylation
of ADP to create ATP plus pyruvate
3. phosphorylation
of glucose
4. dephosphorylation of
glucose 6-phosphate
5. transfer
of a phosphate group to ATP from phosphocreatine
Type K (one question
per item):
6.
Which arteries are found in the Circle of Willis?
(1) opthamalic artery
(2) middle
cerebral artery
(3) basilar
artery
(4) posterior
communicating artery
D.
(4) only is correct
E.
All are correct
Type S (multiple questions per
item)
S01. Answer questions 7-9 using the following
information:
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SUGGESTED READING
Physics
of the Body. JR
Cameron, JG Skofronick,
RM Grant. Medical
Physics Publishing, Madison, WI,
1999. ISBN: 0-944838-90-1
Intermediate Physics for
Medicine and Biology ,
RK Hobbie. Springer-Verlag, New York,
1997. ISBN: 1-56396-458-9
The Essential Physics of
Medical Imaging, 2nd edition ,
JT Bushberg, JA
Seibert, EM Leidholdt, JM Boone. Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia,
PA,
2002. ISBN: 0-683-30118-7
Image Reconstruction in Radiology ,
JA Parker. CRC Press, Boca Raton,
FL,
1991. ISBN: 0-8493-0150-5.
Lehninger
Principles of Biochemistry, 4th Edition DL Nelson, MM Cox.
WH Freeman,
New York,
2004. ISBN: 0716759551
Clinically Oriented Anatomy,
5th edition. KL
Moore & AF Dalley. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 5th edition, 2005.
ISBN: 0781736390
Physics for Diagnostic Radiology ,
Dendy PP, Heaton B.
Taylor & Francis; 2nd edition, 1999, ISBN:
0750305916
Biophysics, R Glaser. Springer; 2004, ISBN:
3540670882
Textbook
of Medical
Physiology, AC
Guyton, JE Hall. Saunders/Elsevier;
11th ed, 2005, ISBN: 0721602401
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Physics main page