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MRI quality control for the Italian Neuroimaging Network Initiative: moving towards big data in multiple sclerosis

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Abstract

The Italian Neuroimaging Network Initiative (INNI) supports the creation of a repository, where MRI, clinical, and neuropsychological data from multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and healthy controls are collected from Italian Research Centers with internationally recognized expertise in MRI applied to MS. However, multicenter MRI data integration needs standardization and quality control (QC). This study aimed to implement quantitative measures for characterizing the standardization and quality of MRI collected within INNI. MRI scans of 423 MS patients, including 3D T1- and T2-weighted, were obtained from INNI repository (from Centers A, B, C, and D). QC measures were implemented to characterize: (1) head positioning relative to the magnet isocenter; (2) intensity inhomogeneity; (3) relative image contrast between brain tissues; and (4) image artefacts. Centers A and D showed the most accurate subject positioning within the MR scanner (median z-offsets = − 2.6 ± 1.7 cm and − 1.1 ± 2 cm). A low, but significantly different, intensity inhomogeneity on 3D T1-weighted MRI was found between all centers (p < 0.05), except for Centers A and C that showed comparable image bias fields. Center D showed the highest relative contrast between gray and normal appearing white matter (NAWM) on 3D T1-weighed MRI (0.63 ± 0.04), while Center B showed the highest relative contrast between NAWM and MS lesions on FLAIR (0.21 ± 0.06). Image artefacts were mainly due to brain movement (60%) and ghosting (35%). The implemented QC procedure ensured systematic data quality assessment within INNI, thus making available a huge amount of high-quality MRI to better investigate pathophysiological substrates and validate novel MRI biomarkers in MS.

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Acknowledgements

This project has been supported by a research grant from the Fondazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla (FISM2018/S/3), and financed or co-financed with the ‘5 per mille’ public funding.

INNI network: Milan: Paola Valsasina, Mauro Sibilia, Paolo Preziosa; Naples: Antonio Gallo, Alvino Bisecco, Renato Docimo; Rome: Nikolaos Petsas, Serena Ruggieri, Silvia Tommasin; Siena: Maria Laura Stromillo, Riccardo Tappa Brocci.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina, 60, 20132, Milan, Italy

    Loredana Storelli, Maria A. Rocca, Elisabetta Pagani & Massimo Filippi

  2. Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy

    Loredana Storelli & Massimo Filippi

  3. Neurology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy

    Maria A. Rocca & Massimo Filippi

  4. Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Patrizia Pantano

  5. IRCCS NEUROMED, Pozzilli, Italy

    Patrizia Pantano

  6. Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, University of Siena, Siena, Italy

    Nicola De Stefano

  7. Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological Metabolic and Aging Sciences and MRI-Center “SUN-FISM”, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy

    Gioacchino Tedeschi

  8. Italian Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, Genoa, Italy

    Paola Zaratin

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  1. Loredana Storelli
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Consortia

For the INNI Network

  • Paola Valsasina
  • , Mauro Sibilia
  • , Paolo Preziosa
  • , Antonio Gallo
  • , Alvino Bisecco
  • , Renato Docimo
  • , Nikolaos Petsas
  • , Serena Ruggieri
  • , Silvia Tommasin
  • , Maria Laura Stromillo
  •  & Riccardo Tappa Brocci

Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Loredana Storelli, Maria A. Rocca, Elisabetta Pagani, and Massimo Filippi. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Loredana Storelli, Maria A. Rocca, Elisabetta Pagani, and Massimo Filippi, and all authors commented on the previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Massimo Filippi.

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Conflicts of interest

L Storelli, P. Pantano, E. Pagani, G. Tedeschi, and P. Zaratin have nothing to disclose. M.A. Rocca received speaker’s honoraria from Biogen Idec, Novartis, Genzyme, Sanofi-Aventis, Teva, Merck Serono, and Roche and receives research support from the Italian Ministry of Health and Fondazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla. N. De Stefano has received honoraria from Schering, Biogen Idec, Teva, Novartis, Genzyme, and Merck Serono S.A. for consulting services, and speaking and travel support. He serves on advisory boards for Biogen-Idec Merck Serono S.A. and Novartis. M. Filippi is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Neurology; received compensation for consulting services and/or speaking activities from Biogen Idec, Merck Serono, Novartis, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries; and receives research support from Biogen Idec, Merck Serono, Novartis, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Roche, Italian Ministry of Health, Fondazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla, and ARiSLA (Fondazione Italiana di Ricerca per la SLA).

Ethical Standards

Ethical approval was received from the local ethical standards committee of each participating Center, and written informed consent was obtained from all participants at the time of data acquisition.

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Storelli, L., Rocca, M.A., Pantano, P. et al. MRI quality control for the Italian Neuroimaging Network Initiative: moving towards big data in multiple sclerosis. J Neurol 266, 2848–2858 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-019-09509-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-019-09509-4

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