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Reliability of multi-parameter mapping (MPM) in the cervical cord: A multi-center multi-vendor quantitative MRI study
Maryam Seif1, Tobias Leutritz2, Simon Schading3
1Spinal Cord Injury Center, University Hospital Balgrist, University of Zurich, Forchstrasse 340, Zurich 8008, Switzerland; Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
Neuroimage
|November 17, 2022
Summary
This study validates a multi-parameter mapping (MPM) protocol for reproducible MRI of the cervical spinal cord. The findings support its use as a standardized tool in multicenter neurological studies and clinical trials.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Quantitative MRI
- Spinal Cord Imaging
Background:
- Standardized MRI protocols are crucial for multicenter studies of neurological conditions like spinal cord injury (SCI).
- Previous work optimized a multi-parameter mapping (MPM) protocol for brain and cervical cord imaging across multiple centers.
- This study specifically evaluates the reliability of cervical cord MPM data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the repeatability and reproducibility of cervical spinal cord multi-parameter mapping (MPM) data.
- To determine the reliability of quantitative maps (MT, PD, R1, R2*) and morphometric measures within the cervical cord.
- To establish the suitability of the MPM protocol as a standardized tool for multicenter neuroimaging research.
Main Methods:
- Applied an optimized multi-parameter mapping (MPM) protocol across six clinical centers in a traveling heads study.
- Processed cervical cord MPM data using the hMRI and Spinal Cord Toolbox.
- Calculated intra-site (scan-rescan) and inter-site coefficient of variation (CoV) and bias at C1-C3 levels.
Main Results:
- The mean intra-site CoV for magnetization transfer saturation (MT), R1, and proton density (PD) ranged from 2.5% to 12%.
- The mean inter-site CoV for MT, R1, and PD ranged from 1.1% to 4.0%.
- Morphometric measures, such as cross-sectional cord area, demonstrated high reproducibility with low CoV.
Conclusions:
- Cervical spinal cord MPM data exhibit high repeatability and reproducibility.
- The MPM protocol provides reliable quantitative biomarkers and morphometric measures.
- This standardized protocol is suitable for multicenter studies and clinical trials involving the cervical spinal cord.
