Brain structure and function in people recovering from COVID-19 after hospital discharge or self-isolation: a longitudinal observational study protocol
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Visit no. Location Protocol/assessment Additional information 1 Remote (email or telephone) Eligibility, consent, COVID-19 test documentation Review inclusion and exclusion criteria, collect demographic characteristics, medical symptoms and history, and screen for eligibility based on inclusion/exclusion criteria and illness status (24 h before visit 2) 2 On site (in hospital) Brain MRI, olfaction, vision, EEG, NIH Cognition Battery, Mnemonic Similarity Task Order of brain MRI and other assessments will be interchanged (pseudorandomized) 3 Remote (teleconference via online meeting platform) NIH Emotion Battery, NIH PROMIS, MBI-C, Post-COVID-19 Functional Status scale, SF-36 – 4 (3-mo follow-up) On site (in hospital) Brain MRI, olfaction, vision, EEG, NIH Cognition Battery, mnemonic similarity task Contrast agent not injected for MRI 5 (3-mo follow-up) Remote (teleconference via online meeting platform) NIH Emotion Battery, NIH PROMIS, MBI-C, Post-COVID-19 Functional Status scale, SF-36 – Note: EEG = electroencephalography, MBI-C = Mild Behavioral Impairment Checklist, MRI = magnetic resonance imaging, NIH = National Institute of Health, NIH Toolbox = National Institutes of Health Toolbox for the Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function, PROMIS = Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System, SF-36 = 36-Item Short Form Survey.
- Table 2:
Sequences, key acquisition parameters, sequence timing and protocol timing of magnetic resonance imaging of the brain*
MRI sequence† Parameters Scan time, min:s 3-dimensional magnetization-prepared rapid gradient-echo (MPRAGE) TR/TE/TI = 2500/4.7/1100 ms; θ = 7°; FOV = 256 × 256 × 192 mm; 1-mm isotropic voxels
3:45 3-dimensional T2-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) TR/TE/TI = 5000/388/1800 ms; FOV = 256 × 256 × 192 mm; 1-mm isotropic voxels
5:57 3-dimensional pseudocontinuous arterial spin labelling (pCASL) Label duration = 1500 ms; postlabel delay = 1800 ms
3-dimensional echo-planar turbo gradient spin echo readout
TR/TEeff = 4100/37 ms; FOV = 240 × 240 × 120 mm
2.5-mm isotropic voxels; 10% oversampling
Turbo factor = 14; background suppression
4:27 3-dimensional T2-weighted sampling perfection with application-optimized contrasts using different θ evolution (SPACE) TR/TEeff = 3200/408 ms; FOV = 240 × 240 × 176 mm; 0.9-mm isotropic voxels
3:42 2-dimensional multislice susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) TR/TE = 28/20 ms; FOV = 240 × 240 × 156 mm
Acceleration factor = 2; 23.1% oversampling
0.625-mm × 0.625-mm × 3.0-mm voxels
4:02 2-dimensional multislice blood-oxygenation-level–dependent (BOLD) resting state functional MRI 2-dimensional echo-planar imaging; TR/TE = 2130/30 ms; θ = 70°
FOV = 224 × 224 × 140 mm; 3.5-mm isotropic voxels
250 time points
9:00 2-dimensional multislice 3-shell diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) TR/TE = 4300/62 ms; FOV = 240 × 240 mm; 60 slices; 2.5-mm isotropic voxels
b = 700, 1400, 2100 s/mm2
30 gradient directions; 4 b = 0 values; 1 average per shell
8:34 Contrast agent administration – Dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) MRI 2-dimensional echo-planar imaging; TR/TE = 1250/30 ms; θ = 7°; FOV = 220 × 220 × 80 mm
1.74-mm × 1.74-mm × 4.0-mm voxels; 140 time points
3:07 Scanning paused Delay until 10 min after contrast administration to permit gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted acquisition
6:53 3-dimensional MPRAGE 10 min after injection As above
3:45 Overall – 53:12 Note: θ = flip angle, FOV = field of view, MRI = magnetic resonance imaging, TE = echo time, TEeff = effective echo time, TI = inversion time, TR = repetition time.
↵* Conducted with the standard head coil.
↵† All sequences are part of the Siemens Healthineers Magnetom Prisma 3 T MRI system with the exception of the pCASL implementation. (11)
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