(FOV) Defined as the size of the two or three dimensional spatial encoding area of the image. Usually defined in units of mm². The FOV is the square image area that contains the object of interest to be measured. The smaller the FOV, the higher the resolution and the smaller the voxel size but the lower the measured signal. Useful for decreasing the scantime is a field of view different in the frequency and phase encoding directions (rectangular field of view - RFOV).
The magnetic field homogeneity decreases as more tissue is imaged (greater FOV). As a result the precessional frequencies change across the imaging volume. That can be a problem for fat suppression imaging. This fat is precessing at the expected frequency only in the center of the imaging volume. E.g. frequency specific fat saturation pulses become less effective when the field of view is increased. It is best to use smaller field of views when applying fat saturation pulses.

Smaller FOV required higher gradient strength and concludes low signal. Therefore you have to find a compromise between these factors. The right choice of the field of view is important for MR image quality. When utilizing small field of views and scanning at a distance from the isocenter (more problems with artifacts) it is obviously important to ensure that the region of interest is within the scanning volume.
A smaller FOV in one direction is available with the function rectangular field of view (RFOV).

See also Field Inhomogeneity Artifact.

(VOI) The selected volume for spectroscopic measurement or evaluation. For SVS, VOI and voxel are identical, but for hybrid CSI the VOI is divided into voxels.

A small linear magnetic field applied in addition to (superimposed on) the large static magnetic field in a MRI scanner. The strength (amplitude) and direction of the gradient fields change during the scan, which allows each small volume element (voxel) within the imaging volume to resonate at a different frequency. In this way, spatial encoding may be performed.

A voxel is a volume element (volumetric and pixel) representing a value in the three dimensional space, corresponding to a pixel for a given slice thickness. Voxels are frequently used in the visualization and analysis of medical data. The Magnetic Resonance Imaging MRI pixel intensity is proportional to the signal intensity of the appropriate voxel.

See also Volumetric Imaging.

Motion of material being imaged, particularly flowing blood, can result in many possible effects in the images.
Fast moving blood produces flow voids, blood flowing in to the outer slices of an imaging volume produces high signals (flow related enhancement, entry slice phenomenon), pulsatile flow creates ghost images of the vessel extending across the image in the phase encoding direction (image misregistration).
Flow-related dephasing occurring when spin isochromats are moving with different velocities in an external gradient field G so that they acquire different phases. When these phases vary by more then 180° within a voxel, substantial spin dephasing results leading to considerable intravascular signal loss.
These effects can be understood as caused by time of flight effects (washout or washin due to motion of nuclei between two consecutive spatially selective RF excitations, repeated in times on the order of, or shorter than the relaxation times of blood) or phase shifts (delay between phase encoding and frequency encoding) that can be acquired by excited spins moving along magnetic field gradients.
The inconsistency of the signal resulting from pulsatile flow can lead to artifacts in the image. The flow effects can also be exploited for MR angiography or flow measurements.

See also Flow Artifact.