How to do a STRUCTURAL multicenter neuroimaging study

When designing a multicenter trial that includes MR structural imaging, questions about the choice of field strength and RF coil often arise. There are also tradeoffs to consider about spatial resolution, imaging time, acquisition plane, and several other factors. Most structural studies of the brain include a T1-weighted 3D volumetric gradient echo acquisition, either without inversion preparation (SPGR, spoiled FLASH, T1-FFE, etc.) or with inversion preparation, such as MPRAGE, IR-FSPGR, etc. In this abstract, these issues are discussed, focusing on the context of the T1-weighted volumetric series.