Protocol for Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Extraction of Imaging-Derived Phenotypes from the China Phenobank Project

Imaging-derived phenotypes (IDPs) have been increasingly used in population-based cohort studies in recent years. As widely reported, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an important imaging modality for assessing the anatomical structure and function of the brain with high resolution and excellent soft-tissue contrast. The purpose of this article was to describe the imaging protocol of the brain MRI in the China Phenobank Project (CHPP). Each participant underwent a 30-min brain MRI scan as part of a 2-h whole-body imaging protocol in CHPP. The brain imaging sequences included T₁-magnetization that prepared rapid gradient echo, T₂ fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery, magnetic resonance angiography, diffusion MRI, and resting-state functional MRI. The detailed descriptions of image acquisition, interpretation, and post-processing were provided in this article. The measured IDPs included volumes of brain subregions, cerebral vessel geometrical parameters, microstructural tracts, and function connectivity metrics.