Motivation: Accurate brain volume measurements are crucial for monitoring neurodegenerative diseases where brain atrophy serves as a key biomarker. However, variations in MRI protocols and segmentation pipelines can affect the reliability of these measurements. Goal(s): Evaluating how different segmentation pipelines affect structural measurements using contrast-enhanced MPRAGE and MP2RAGE MRI protocols. Approach: We processed scans from 49 relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients using both MRI protocols and FreeSurfer versions 6.0.0, 7.4.0, and 8.0.0, extracting cortical volumes and thickness measurements. Results: MP2RAGE scans showed more consistent, reliable volumetric and cortical thickness measurements across FreeSurfer versions, especially for smaller structures like the hippocampus, compared to contrast-enhanced MPRAGE scans. Impact: Adopting the MP2RAGE MRI protocol ensures consistent and reliable brain volume measurements across FreeSurfer versions, enhancing measurement reliability critical for longitudinal studies and clinical assessments in neurodegenerative diseases.
Paterson et al. (Tue,) studied this question.
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