Systematic comparison of MPRAGE and BRAVO T1-weighted MRI pulse sequences and brain morphometry in high-risk young adults.

Abstract

Structural MRI is widely used in psychiatric research to investigate brain morphometry, but variability in acquisition methods may influence the reproducibility of findings. In particular, differences between commonly used T1-weighted sequences such as Magnetization Prepared Rapid Acquisition Gradient Echo (MPRAGE) and Brain Volume (BRAVO) have not been thoroughly evaluated. This study examined the comparability of these sequences using a within-subject design in a sample of 115 young adults (59.13% female; mean age 20.58 ± 1.13) reporting high-risk substance use, primarily cannabis misuse. Participants underwent 3 T MRI scanning with both MPRAGE and BRAVO protocols. Scan quality was assessed according to Human Connectome Project standards, and brain morphometry was quantified using the Desikan atlas, including measures of cortical thickness, surface area, and cortical and subcortical volumes. Associations between morphometric measures and cannabis use indicators were evaluated using partial correlations. Results indicated that MPRAGE scans were rated as slightly higher in quality compared to BRAVO. Reliability of morphometric measures across sequences was very good to excellent (intraclass correlation coefficients ranging from 0.85 to 0.99), demonstrating strong overall agreement. However, systematic differences were observed in absolute estimates: BRAVO yielded higher cortical thickness values, whereas MPRAGE produced larger estimates of surface area and brain volume. Additionally, discrepancies emerged in the detection of significant associations between brain measures and cannabis use. These findings suggest that while MPRAGE and BRAVO provide broadly consistent morphometric data, sequence-dependent differences may meaningfully impact study outcomes and interpretations in neuroimaging research.