MRI Protocols

Brain MRI uses a protocol that is partly standard and partly custom. Reliability practices such as dual readers, blinding, and inter-rater calibration were inconsistently reported. MRI protocols can include both standard scans and custom protocols written for specific purposes. MRI protocols were heterogeneous but usually included T1, T2, and FLAIR sequences. Different body systems require dedicated MRI scanning approaches. The spine uses a custom unique MRI protocol. A 1.5T structural MRI protocol was generally sufficient to detect medial temporal atrophy plus small-vessel disease in LMIC settings. Diffusion-weighted imaging was commonly added for vascular, post-stroke, or prion-disease contexts.