Springer, Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine, 3(29), p. 399-415, 2016
DOI: 10.1007/s10334-016-0541-8
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Objective: This study evaluates the inter-site and intra-site reproducibility of 7 Tesla brain imaging and compares it to literature values for other field strengths. Materials and methods: The same two subjects were imaged at eight different 7 T sites. MP2RAGE, TSE, TOF, SWI, EPI as well as B1 and B0 field maps were analyzed quantitatively to assess inter-site reproducibility. Intra-site reproducibility was measured with rescans at three sites. Results: Quantitative measures of MP2RAGE scans showed high agreement. Inter-site and intra-site reproducibility errors were comparable to 1.5 and 3 T. Other sequences also showed high reproducibility between the sites, but differences were also revealed. The different RF coils used were the main source for systematic differences between the sites. Conclusion: Our results show for the first time that multi-center brain imaging studies of the supratentorial brain can be performed at 7 T with high reproducibility and similar reliability as at 3T. This study develops the basis for future large-scale 7 T multi-site studies.