3.0t mr scanner

Magnetic resonance images were obtained with a 3.0 T MR scanner (Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany). The FLAIR sequence parameters were as follows: repetition time (TR) = 6,000 ms, echo time (TE) = 388 ms; echo train length = 848, bandwidth = 781 Hz/pixel; voxel size, 1 × 1 × 1 mm; field of view, 256 × 256 mm; and 176 sagittal slices. The WMHs were evaluated using the visual rating scale (Fazekas et al., 1988 (link)). Periventral hyperintensities (PVH) and DWMH were rated separately by two radiologists.

The morning after an overnight fast, participants will undergo a MRI scan with a 3.0-T MR scanner (Siemens AG, Germany) at Huaxi Magnetic Resonance Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. The scanning procedure contains a localizer, a high-resolution three-dimensional T1-weighted imaging (3D-T1WI), a blood oxygenation level-dependent fMRI (BOLD-fMRI) and a diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) sequence. The 3D-T1WI scanning parameters will be as follows: repetition time (TR)/echo time (TE) = 1900/2.26 ms; slice thickness = 1 mm; slice number = 30; matrix size = 128 × 128; and field of view (FOV) = 256 × 256 mm. The BOLD-fMRI scanning parameters will be as follows: TR/TE = 2000/30 ms; flip angle = 90°; slice number = 30; matrix size = 128 × 128; FOV = 240 × 240 mm; slice thickness = 5 mm; and total volume = 240. The DTI data will be acquired with the following parameters: FOV = 240 × 240 mm; TR/TE = 6800/93 ms; matrix size = 128 × 128; and slice thickness = 3 mm with no gap. Two diffusion-weighted sequences were acquired using gradient values b = 1000 s/mm² and b = 0 with the diffusion-sensitizing gradients applied in 64 non-collinear directions.

Lung MRI was performed on a 3.0 T MR scanner (Siemens Vefio, Germany), and the scanning parameters of multiple flip angle were as follows: TR 3.25 ms, TE 1.17 ms, layer thickness 5 mm, number of layers 30, field of view 350 mm × 282 mm, flip angle: 5°, 10°, 15°, matrix 162 × 288. 3D VIBE T1 weighted dynamic perfusion sequence was applied to dynamic enhanced scanning. Subsequently, a gadolinium contrast agent (Omega, GE Healthcare, China) was injected through the median elbow vein using the high-pressure injector in phase 3. The injection speed and dose were and 3.5 ml/s and 0.1 mmol/kg, respectively. Thereafter, multi-phase dynamic enhanced scanning was performed with the following parameters: flip angle: 10°, scanning phases: 35, totaling time: 247 s; the other parameters were the same as above.

fMRI based on blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) is primary outcomes. The cerebral functional connectivity changes will be evaluate by magnetic resonance imaging at before and the 0 hour, 24 hours, and 36 hours after treatment. Siemens 3.0T MR scanner with 20-channel head coil was used. The MR scanning sequence included whole-brain 3D high-resolution T1WI and BOLD-fMRI. The changes of local cerebral functional activity were observed by the fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (fALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and degree centrality (DC). Seed point analysis was used to observe the changes of brain Functional connectivity (FC). If the brain regions and seed point show a high degree of time-domain consistency, it is considered that these brain regions together constitute a neural network related to some cerebral function. The more consistent the results of various analytical methods are, the higher the credibility of acupuncture in the brain effect area is.

The 3.0T MR scanner produced by Siemens (Germany) was employed to detect the subjects. When the subject was scanned, he or she should lie flat in the MRI machine, keep the head and body still, try to stay awake, use special earplugs to shield the noise, and locate the center of the scan on the center of the eyebrow. Requirements for the scanning parameters included gradient plane echo sequence and included that TR equaled 2,500 milliseconds, TE equaled 120 milliseconds, layer spacing was 1.5 mm, layer thickness was 5 mm, matrix equaled 521 multiplied by 521, and field of view equaled 250 × 250 mm². After the scanning was completed, the image data were transmitted to the matrix laboratory (MATLAB R2015b) platform for processing and calculation, so as to obtain the ALFF values of each brain area.

All study participants underwent MRI examination performed by a Siemens 3.0T MR scanner with a standard 12-channel head coil in the Department of Radiology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital to Dalian University. The scan sequence included: (1) T2-weighted-fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (T2-FLAIR) scan: repetition time (TR) = 4,000 ms, echo time (TE) = 77 ms, field of view (FOV) = 250 × 226 mm, matrix (MS) = 256 × 180, flip angle (FA) = 150°, number of layers (slice) = 20 and layer thickness (ST) = 5.0 mm; (2) three-dimensional T1-weighted imaging (3D-T1WI) scan: TR =2,530 ms, TE = 2.22 ms, FOV = 224 × 224 mm, MS = 224 × 224, FA = 7°, slice = 192, ST = 1 mm; and (3) rs-fMRI scan with single excitation imaging gradient echo sequence: TR = 2,000 ms, TE = 30 ms, FOV = 224 × 224 mm, MS = 64 × 64, FA = 90°, slice = 31, ST = 3.5 mm, time points = 240.
During resting state data collection, all participants were asked to lie quietly on the examination bed, and the head was fixed with foam sponge to reduce the impact of head movement. They also were instructed to remain quiet with eyes closed and to try to avoid unnecessary head movement and specific thinking activities. After the examination, all participants were asked briefly to report whether they fell asleep during MRI data acquisition.