Standardization of magnetization transfer imaging for multicenter studies.

Magnetization transfer (MT) techniques may be applied to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate the inherent relaxation properties of heterogeneous tissues. In addition to providing a unique contrast mechanism for the purpose of qualitative imaging, the MT effect may be quantified by various means to provide useful data that relate either to the pathological or associated clinical features of multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological disorders. The variable and relatively unpredictable course of neurological disorders such as MS often necessitates the study of large patient cohorts in multiple MRI centers to define either the natural history of the disease or its modification by potential therapies. For multicenter studies, precision (reproducibility, or lack of random error) and accuracy (closeness to the truth, or lack of systematic error) are important requirements for the acquisition of standardized and comparable data. For serial studies, quality assurance is important to determine pathological change from fluctuation in scanner performance. This review addresses how MT imaging techniques may be utilized to provide standardized and clinically relevant measures.