Jul 2026· Magnetic Resonance Imaging· Vol 133, pp.
110743
· 0 citations· 48 references
Medicine
TL;DR
It is suggested that while MPRAGE and BRAVO provide broadly consistent morphometric data, sequence-dependent differences may meaningfully impact study outcomes and interpretations in neuroimaging research.
Abstract
Structural MRI is widely used in psychiatric research to investigate brain morphometry, but variability in acquisition methods may influence the reproducibility of findings. In particular, differences between commonly used T1-weighted sequences such as Magnetization Prepared Rapid Acquisition Gradient Echo (MPRAGE) and Brain Volume (BRAVO) have not been thoroughly evaluated. This study examined the comparability of these sequences using a within-subject design in a sample of 115 young adults (59.13% female; mean age 20.58 ± 1.13) reporting high-risk substance use, primarily cannabis misuse. Participants underwent 3 T MRI scanning with both MPRAGE and BRAVO protocols. Scan quality was assessed according to Human Connectome Project standards, and brain morphometry was quantified using the Desikan atlas, including measures of cortical thickness, surface area, and cortical and subcortical volumes. Associations between morphometric measures and cannabis use indicators were evaluated using partial correlations. Results indicated that MPRAGE scans were rated as slightly higher in quality compared to BRAVO. Reliability of morphometric measures across sequences was very good to excellent (intraclass correlation coefficients ranging from 0.85 to 0.99), demonstrating strong overall agreement. However, systematic differences were observed in absolute estimates: BRAVO yielded higher cortical thickness values, whereas MPRAGE produced larger estimates of surface area and brain volume. Additionally, discrepancies emerged in the detection of significant associations between brain measures and cannabis use. These findings suggest that while MPRAGE and BRAVO provide broadly consistent morphometric data, sequence-dependent differences may meaningfully impact study outcomes and interpretations in neuroimaging research.
High-resolution dhPET revealed significantly higher SUVRs in Aβ⁺ compared with Aβ⁻ subjects in supratentorial structures, including cerebral white matter, and in cerebellar gray matter.
Yasuyuki Kojita, Kazunari Ishii, Takahiro Yamada et al.· Annals of Nuclear Medicine· 0 citations
Recent developments in quantitative T1 have enabled simultaneous scanning of both the brain and the cervical spinal cord (cSC) using the magnetization‐prepared two rapid acquisition gradient echoes (MP2RAGE) sequence. However, the multicentre variability of such an approach has not yet been assessed. In this paper, we aim to evaluate multicentre variability (inter‐scanner, between‐session, between‐participant) of T1 MP2RAGE measurements in the brain and cSC. A total of 52 MP2RAGE scans were acquired at two centres equipped with Siemens 3T MRI systems using an optimized MP2RAGE sequence. A subset of participants underwent scanning at both centres to evaluate inter‐site variability. Between‐session and inter‐participant variability were assessed both globally and within specific regions, including brain white matter, cortical gray matter, deep gray matter, and cervical spinal cord vertebral levels using a linear mixed effect model. Mean intra‐site/inter‐site/between‐participant coefficients of variation (COV) were 0.4/0.9/2.3% for the brain ROIs and 2.0/2.4/1.7% for the cSC. Our findings validate the consistency and reliability of the MP2RAGE brain and cervical spinal cord simultaneous acquisition in a multicentre setting. This approach has the potential to significantly impact the study of central nervous system pathologies, such as multiple sclerosis, by enabling fast, accurate, and reproducible quantitative imaging collection across multiple centres.
Malo Gaubert, Benoît Combès, H. Rasoanandrianina et al.· NMR in Biomedicine· 0 citations
Background/Objectives: Low back pain (LBP) is associated with central alterations, but convergence across structural, functional, and network measures remains unclear. We characterized multimodal differences. Methods: Resting-state fMRI included 69 participants (37 patients, 32 controls); VBM retained 23 patients and 32 controls after structural-image quality control. Structural, local functional, and thalamic-connectivity measures were assessed. Motion control used realignment-based exclusion and Friston-24 nuisance regression. Mean Power framewise displacement was additionally calculated for all participants and compared between groups, and VBM-retained and excluded patients were compared. Models adjusted for age and sex, plus total intracranial volume for VBM. Directional maps underwent one-tailed Gaussian random field correction (voxel p < 0.001; cluster p < 0.05), without cross-direction or cross-family correction. Extracted-value and imaging–clinical analyses were exploratory. Results: Mean framewise displacement did not differ between groups. Patients showed lower gray matter volume in thalamic–hippocampal regions and right cerebellar lobule VIII and lower local functional measures in thalamic, orbitofrontal–striatal, and right temporal regions. Thalamic connectivity with sensorimotor, parietal, supplementary motor, and middle cingulate regions was higher. Nominal analyses showed positive left thalamic connectivity cluster 1–VAS and negative left cluster 1–JOA and right clusters 1/2–JOA; none survived false-discovery-rate correction. Conclusions: Multimodal MRI delineated lower thalamic structural and local functional measures alongside higher thalamo-sensorimotor and thalamo-parietal connectivity. Nominal, directionally coherent clinical associations remain hypothesis-generating. This thalamus-centered pattern warrants replication in prospectively matched, clinically stratified cohorts.
CS-MPRAGE provides high-quality 3D images and reliable volume data with significantly reduced acquisition time and comparable image quality by comparing its scan time and image quality with standard MPRAGE.
Qualitative similarities between volume measurements in adults and the questions of reproducibility through test-retest reliability and external validity using recent software updates to the Hyperfine Swoop system constitute a crucial foundation for the clinical utility of 64 mT MRI in monitoring brain volume loss over time.
M. Stockbridge, Rex Wang, V. Neal et al.· Aperture Neuro· 0 citations
Objective To explore the reliability of atlas-based assessment of fetal gyrification on MRI, given the absence of a standardized method to assess cerebral gyrification on fetal imaging and the potential of recently published gestational-age specific fetal brain atlases including high-resolution anatomical detail. Materials and methods Fetal MRI scans (n = 20; gestational age 26 + 0 to 33 + 1 weeks) were retrospectively randomly selected, including 10 healthy controls and 10 cases with early-onset fetal growth restriction, of which 5 were suspected of delayed fetal gyrification based on comparison with an atlas from 2004. Two experienced pediatric neuroradiologists, independently and blinded to clinical condition, assessed each scan using two approaches: (1) a 2D template from the 3D Gholipour atlas, and including measurements of Sylvian fissure angle and Pistorius scoring, and (2) a full 3D atlas-based evaluation. Results Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) between radiologists' estimates of GA and the actual GA were above 0.940 for both methods. Inter-rater ICCs were 0.937 for method 1 and 0.932 for method 2. In contrast, ICCs for the Sylvian fissure angle or the Pistorius score for the left and right side were low (0.393, 0.649, 0.098 and 0.131, respectively). Determining delayed gyrification proved challenging, with Cohen's Kappa values between 0.22 and 0.64 between methods and radiologists. Conclusion Gestational age based on gyrification can be estimated with high reliability, both in agreement with actual GA and between raters, using both 2D and 3D MRI templates from the Gholipour fetal brain atlas. These findings support the reliability of standardized fetal brain templates for assessment of fetal gyrification within this single-center cohort. Reproducibility across centers, scanners and clinical settings remains to be established.
L. Meijerink, Y. Stam, F. Terstappen et al.· Neuroimage: Reports· 0 citations
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