Brain and spinal cord MRI acquisition
SPINAL CORD, BRAIN
Using a 1.5-Tesla MR scanner system (Achieva dStream, Philips Medical Systems), the brain and spinal cord MRI scans were acquired at baseline (before transplantation) and at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after the transplantation:Brain sequences:3D fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) (repetition time (TR) = 4,800 ms, echo time (TE) = 277 ms, inversion time (TI) = 1,660 ms, echo train length (ETL) = 171, flip angle (FA) = 90°, field of view (FOV) = 230 × 230 × 184 mm2D T2-weighted turbo spin echo (TSE) (TR = 4,446 ms, TE = 100 ms, ETL = 15, FA = 90°, FOV = 230 × 192 mm2D T2-weighted fast field echo (FFE) (TR = 698 ms, TE = 23 ms, FA = 13°, FOV = 256 × 256 mmDiffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) (TR = 4,043 ms, TE = 65 ms, FA = 90°, FOV = 240 × 240 mm3D T1-weighted turbo field echo (TFE) (TR = 8 ms, TE = 3.7 ms, TI = 1,000 ms, ETL = 171, FA = 8°, FOV = 256 × 256 × 192 mmPost-contrast 2D T1-weighted TSE (TR = 580 ms, TE = 12 ms, FA = 69°, FOV = 230 × 183 mmPost-contrast 3D T1-weighted TFE, with the same acquisition parameters as for sequence (e), 5 minutes after the injection of gadobutrol 0.1 ml/kg.Spinal cord sequences:Cervical and dorsal 2D short-tau inversion recovery (STIR) (TR = 2,500 ms, TE = 50 ms, TI = 170 ms, ETL = 15, FA = 90°, FOV = 380 × 380 mmCervical cord 3D T1-weighted TFE scan (TR = 8.2 ms, TE = 3.8 ms, TI = 1,100 ms, ETL = 255, FA = 8°, matrix = 256 × 255, FOV = 250 × 250 × 65 mmCervical and dorsal 2D T1-weighted TSE (TR = 400 ms, TE = 7.4 ms, ETL = 4, FA = 90°, FOV = 380 × 380 mmCrvical and dorsal 2D T2-weighted TSE (TR = 3,748 ms, TE = 120 ms, ETL = 50, FA = 90°, FOV = 380 × 380 mmPost-contrast cervical and dorsal 2D T1-weighted TSE, with the same acquisition parameters as for sequence (c), 5 min after injection of gadobutrol 0.1 ml kgFor all brain scans, the slices were positioned to run parallel to a line that joins the most infero-anterior and infero-posterior parts of the corpus callosum (AC–PC line), covering the entire brain from the skull base to the vertex, with careful repositioning during the follow-up scan.