Aliasing is an artifact caused by what issue during data acquisition?

Aliasing is an artifact that occurs in imaging when there is insufficient sampling of data during the image acquisition process. This phenomenon can lead to misleading representations of structures within the scanned area, resulting in patterns or lines that do not accurately reflect the actual anatomy. Insufficient views mean that not enough data points are collected to fully represent the spatial frequencies of the object being imaged. As a result, high-frequency information is misrepresented, leading to the perception of artifacts like "moiré" patterns.

In imaging, achieving the appropriate number of views or samples is crucial for accurate representation. When the sampling rate is too low, it fails to capture the complete details of the object, hence the term "aliasing," where higher frequencies appear as lower frequencies in the resulting images. Properly sampling the data by acquiring views from different angles helps create a more accurate representation of the anatomy being examined, minimizing the risk of artifacts.