What is MRI and what does it measure?
The MRI will create pictures of your child’s brain using magnets. While in the MR scanner, your child will have a magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) scan that measures the chemical composition of the brain and a functional scan that shows brain metabolic activity. There is no pain while in an MRI scanner, and no X-rays or other forms of radiation will be used.
Does the study include any invasive measures?
No. There is no contrast used for our MRI scans.
Is there any danger to my child?
There is no known danger from obtaining an MRI scan. An MRI uses magnets to take pictures of your child’s brain. X-rays or other forms of radiation are not involved. The WUSTL Mock MRI scanner does make loud noises, but there should be no pain involved, and your child will be given headphones to lessen the noise.
Some children may be uncomfortable lying completely still in a scanner for over an hour while the scan is occurring, particularly children who are afraid of tight spaces (claustrophobic). Children will have the opportunity to experience a “mock scanner” that is identical to the real scanner but without magnets prior to the scan.
More information on MRI safety can be found at:
- National Institutes of Health: Head MRI. This article notes that “To date, there have been no documented significant side effects of the magnetic fields and radio waves used on the human body”
- Radiology Society of North American and the American College of Radiology: MRI (Head) also notes that the only known risks are associated with contrast that is injected during some diagnostic MRIs, which is something we do not do in our study.
Who will have access to my child’s brain images?
We will print out a picture of your child’s brain for them to take home. This is not a diagnostic study, will not typically be reviewed by a physician, and you will not be able to access the full set of brain images from the study.
Only those involved in our study and approved by the Washington University IRB will have access to brain images. After the scan, all images are stored securely under two locks. Prior to analyses all identifiable characteristics, including any images of the face are removed.
Where will the scan take place?
The scan will take place at 4525 Scott Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110.