Regional T1 mapping of the whole cervical spinal cord using an optimized MP2RAGE sequence.

The recently-proposed MP2RAGE sequence was purposely optimized for cervical spinal cord imaging at 3T. Sequence parameters were chosen to optimize gray/white matter T1 contrast with sub-millimetric resolution and scan-time < 10 min while preserving reliable T1 determination with minimal B1 + variation effects within a range of values compatible with pathologies and surrounding structures. Results showed good agreements with IR-based measurements, high MP2RAGE-based T1 reproducibility and preliminary evidences of age- and tract-related T1 variations in the healthy spinal cord.