CSA quantification	Recommendation	Alternative
Which MRI acquisition?	Dedicated cervical cord MRI incl. isotropic 3D T1w Pro: best CSA repeatability Con: long duration of brain and cervical cord MRI	brain MRI incl. sagittal 3D T1w to cover the upper cervical cord Pro: Patient comfort/shorter MRI duration; only minor loss of CSA repeatability in brain MRI at C1–C2 Con: limited to upper cervical cord levels
Which vertebral level?	Entire cervical cord (C1–C7) Pro: best CSA repeatability Con: averaging of regional changes	Regional cervical cord sections (e.g., C1–C2) Con: repeatability of CSA slightly reduced