Multi-site harmonization of 7 tesla MRI neuroimaging protocols
William T. Clarke,
Olivier Mougin,
Ian D. Driver,
Catarina Rua,
Andrew T. Morgan,
Michael Asghar,
Stuart Clare,
Susan Francis,
Richard G. Wise,
Christopher T. Rodgers,
Adrian Carpenter,
Keith Muir,
Richard Bowtell
Affiliations
William T. Clarke
Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Corresponding author. Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, University of Oxford, Level 0, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, OX3 9DU, United Kingdom.
Olivier Mougin
Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
Ian D. Driver
Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
Catarina Rua
Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Andrew T. Morgan
Imaging Centre of Excellence, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
Michael Asghar
Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
Stuart Clare
Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
Susan Francis
Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
Richard G. Wise
Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
Christopher T. Rodgers
Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Adrian Carpenter
Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Keith Muir
Imaging Centre of Excellence, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
Richard Bowtell
Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
Increasing numbers of 7 T (7 T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners are in research and clinical use. 7 T MRI can increase the scanning speed, spatial resolution and contrast-to-noise-ratio of many neuroimaging protocols, but technical challenges in implementation have been addressed in a variety of ways across sites. In order to facilitate multi-centre studies and ensure consistency of findings across sites, it is desirable that 7 T MRI sites implement common high-quality neuroimaging protocols that can accommodate different scanner models and software versions.With the installation of several new 7 T MRI scanners in the United Kingdom, the UK7T Network was established with an aim to create a set of harmonized structural and functional neuroimaging sequences and protocols. The Network currently includes five sites, which use three different scanner platforms, provided by two different vendors.Here we describe the harmonization of functional and anatomical imaging protocols across the three different scanner models, detailing the necessary changes to pulse sequences and reconstruction methods. The harmonized sequences are fully described, along with implementation details. Example datasets acquired from the same subject on all Network scanners are made available. Based on these data, an evaluation of the harmonization is provided. In addition, the implementation and validation of a common system calibration process is described.
