MRI Home Preparation
Thank you for visiting our MRI procedure page. To prepare you and your child for the MRI procedure, we'd like you to get ready for your visit by doing the following things at home:
(A) Watch the Get Ready for Your MRI video with your child:
* The scanner we use for our study is similar but not the same as the one shown in this video.
(B) Listen to the MRI sounds. There are seven tracks.
Here are the sounds that the machine makes. Some of the noises are loud, but they are a normal part of the scan. We suggest that you listen to all the sounds to know what it feels like to be in the scanner.
Mixed sounds
Intro to structural MRI
Structural sounds
Intro to functional MRI
Functional sounds
DTI sounds
One hour long MRI sounds
MRI Scan Procedure
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a safe neuroimaging technique used by researchers to take pictures of human brain to understand its structure and functions. MRI is non-invasive and do not use X-ray or radiation.
For our Family Imaging Study, the MRI scan will take place at the UCSF Neuroscience Imaging Center (http://www.sfnic.ucsf.edu/) on the UCSF Mission Bay campus. The duration of the MRI scan is approximately 1 hour per person but please note that this is only an estimate. Your child’s needs (such as time required to get comfortable and to set up) may differ from what is listed here.
MRI Training Session
To prepare you, especially your child, for the MRI scan session, we will ask that you perform an initial MRI training session during your first campus visit. You will go through an MRI scan session without being actually scanned. This will help to ready you for the MRI environment, which can sometimes be loud and which requires you to lay still. This is especially important for child participants so they can understand the requirements better and get used to the MRI environment.
MRI Scan Session
After successful MRI training, you will be asked to participate in MRI. This is a specialized examination of the head, which will create pictures of the structure and function of the brain. The MRI scan involves lying on a table, then being slid into a large tunnel. The MRI scan uses a magnet to make images (pictures) of the brain. No X-rays or radiation is involved. Except for the loud noise that you will experience in training, there is no sensation of any kind. You will be given hearing protection. While in the scanner, you will be asked to perform a short task. In this task you will be asked to identify pictures and words, and push a button.
If you would like to participate in our imaging study and have any questions about the procedure, please do not hesitate to ask us any questions.
Video/audio credit: The home preparation video and sound samples were produced by the Stanford Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research (link to original webpage).
