The spinal cord plays a pivotal role in the central nervous system, providing communication between the brain and the body and containing critical motor and sensory networks. Recent advancements in spinal cord MRI data acquisition and image analysis have shown a potential to improve the diagnostics, prognosis, and management of a variety of pathological conditions. In this review, we first discuss the significance of standardized spinal cord MRI acquisition protocol in multi-center and multi-manufacturer studies. Then, we cover open-access spinal cord MRI datasets, which are important for reproducible science and validation of new methods. Finally, we elaborate on the recent advances in spinal cord MRI data analysis techniques implemented in the open-source software package Spinal Cord Toolbox (SCT).

Centre de Recherche du CHU Sainte Justine Université de Montréal Montreal QC Canada

Department of Neurology Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Palacký University Olomouc Olomouc Czechia

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Palacký University Olomouc Olomouc Czechia

Functional Neuroimaging Unit CRIUGM Université de Montréal Montreal QC Canada

Mila Quebec AI Institute Montreal QC Canada

NeuroPoly Lab Institute of Biomedical Engineering Polytechnique Montreal Montreal QC Canada

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