Acquisition protocola
| Imaging Type | Pulse Sequence; Orientation | Technical Details | Acquisition Time | Metric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T2WI | 3D FIESTA-C; sagittal | TR/TE = 5.4/2.6 s, FOV = 200 × 200 mm2, matrix = 256 × 256, resolution = 0.8 × 0.8 × 0.8 mm3, NEX = 2, flip angle = 35° | 6 min 56 s | CSA |
| DTI | Spin-echo ssEPI with OVS; axial | TR/TE = 4050/91.2 ms, FOV = 80 × 80 mm2, matrix = 64 × 64, resolution = 1.25 × 1.25 × 5 mm3, 25 directions (b=800 s/mm2), 5 b=0 s/mm2 images, AP saturation bands, phase encoding = AP, 2nd-order shimming | 3 × 2 min 6 s, 1 min 30 s for shimming | FA |
| MT | 2D SPGR with/without prepulse; axial | TR/TE = 32/5.9 ms, FOV = 190 × 190 mm2, matrix = 192 × 192, resolution = 1 × 1 × 5 mm3, NEX = 3, flip angle = 6°, flow compensation, phase encoding = AP, prepulse: Gaussian, duration = 9984 μs, offset = 1200 Hz | 3 min 45 s each, with and without prepulse | MTR |
| T2*WI | 2D MERGE; axial | TR/TE = 650/5, 10, 15 ms, FOV = 200 × 200 mm2, matrix = 320 × 320, resolution = 0.6 × 0.6 × 4 mm3, NEX = 1, flip angle = 20°, BW = 62 kHz per line | 3 min 33 s | WM/GM ratio |
Note:—AP indicates anteroposterior; BW, bandwidth; FIESTA-C, FIESTA-cycled phases; MERGE, multiecho recombined gradient echo; OVS, outer volume suppression; SPGR, echo-spoiled gradient echo; ssEPI, single-shot echo-planar imaging.
↵a Technical specifications of our multiparametric cervical SC MRI protocol, with an acquisition time of 25 minutes (30–35 minutes, including positioning, section prescription, shimming, and prescans).