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Table 10 Clinical MRI protocol: brain

From: The Canadian prospective cohort study to understand progression in multiple sclerosis (CanProCo): rationale, aims, and study design

Parameters

Description

Field strength

Scans should be of good quality, with adequate SNR and spatial resolution (in-section pixel resolution of ≤1 × 1 mm))

Scan prescription

Use of the sub-callosal plane to prescribe or reformat axial oblique sections

Coverage

Whole-brain coverage

Section thickness and gap

For 2D = ≤3 mm no gap

For 3D = ≤1 mm (≤1.6 mm overcontiguous, reconstructed to ≤1 mm)

Core sequences

1. Anatomic 3D inversion recovery–prepared T1W gradient echo

2. Gadolinium single dose, 0.1 mmol/kg given for 30 s*a

3. 3D sagittal T2WI FLAIRb

4. 3D T2WIb

5. 2D axial DWI (≤5-mm sections, no gap)*

6. 3D spoiled gradient echo T1W (non-IR prep) post-gadolinium*b

Optional sequences

1. Axial proton attenuation

2. Pre- or post-gadolinium axial T1W spin-echo (for chronic black holes)

3. SWI for identification of central vein within T2 lesions

Notes

3D series would be typically reconstructed to 3-mm thickness for display and subsequent comparison for lesion counts

a Minimum 5-min delay before obtaining post-gadolinium T1WI. The 3D sagittal FLAIR may be acquired immediately after contrast injection before the 3D FLASH series.

b If unable to perform a 3D acquisition, then perform 2D axial and sagittal FLAIR, axial fast spin-echo T2WI, and axial post-gadolinium T1WI spin-echo at ≤3-mm section thickness with no gap.

*Optional

  1. SNR Signal-to-Noise Ratio, 2D 2 Dimensional, 3D 3 Dimensional, T2WI T2-weighted imaging, FLAIR Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery, DWI Diffusion-Weighted Imaging, IR Inversion Recovery, SWI Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging