3.0 t signa mri machine

Using a 3.0 T Signa MRI machine (GE Medical Systems, Milwaukee, WI, USA), a phased array spinal cord coil was customized. Conventional three-dimensional T2WI (repetition time (TR) 2,600 ms, echo time (TE) 120 ms) and T1WI (TR 560 ms, TE 11.3 ms) scans were performed on the spinal cord. The thickness of both sagittal sections and cross-sections = 1.5 mm, the space = 0, field of view (FOV) = 8, acquisition matrix = 320 × 224.

The 3.0 T DTI scan was performed using a 3.0 T Signa MRI machine (GE Medical Systems) at the same loci with a conventional MRI scan. The diffusion-weighted coefficient (b value) was 1,000 s/mm², the diffusion-sensitive gradient was 15 different directions, TR = 3,500 ms, TE = 87.5 ms, thickness = 2.4 mm, space = 0, FOV = 10, acquisition matrix = 64 × 64. All the data were input into a separate workstation, Advantage Windows 4.2 (GE Healthcare). Based on the FA map, the region of interest (the spinal cord tissue) was placed in the inferior medulla and the inferior oblongata. The morphological reconstruction of the spinal cord nerve fiber bundle was plotted using FuncTool software (GE Healthcare). The ROI was selected by two independent testers, and the ADC and FA values were obtained.