Test-retest reliability and inter-method reproducibility of cerebral T1 mapping at 3T

Motivation: Investigating the repeatability and reproducibility of human brain T1 mapping in vivo is required for transitioning clinical studies to a newly implemented MRI model. Goal(s): This study aims to conduct a repeatability test for agreement of T1 values across test-retest scans. Additionally, it compares T1 reproducibility across three methods: STAGE, VFA-B1, and MR Fingerprinting. Approach: Regional cerebral T1 values were measured in healthy volunteers with test-retest visits on the newly installed 3T MRI (Siemens Cima.X). Results: Bland-Altman plots indicate that the mean test-retest differences for both 3D T1 mapping methods are close to zero, demonstrating a good test-retest repeatability. Impact: This study demonstrated an excellent test-retest agreement of the two 3D T1 mapping methods on the newly implemented 3T MRI, which lays a cornerstone for future clinical studies in Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis using this scanner.