Too much movement can cause artifacts – artificial observations introduced during the scanning process. The percentage of MRI scans that need to be redone may be even higher for young children and individuals with disabilities.
If you move, the MRI scan pictures may not be clear. Your primary care physician may order you a mild sedative if you are claustrophobic (afraid of closed spaces), have a hard time staying still, or have chronic pain. You will hear very loud banging noises during the series of scans.
To avoid the images being blurred, it's very important to keep your whole body still throughout the scan until the radiographer tells you to relax. A single scan may take from a few seconds to 3 or 4 minutes. You may be asked to hold your breath during short scans.
The position of body parts in the magnetic field distorts it. So if you cross your legs, scratch your head, open your mouth, yawn (inhale deeply), or shift your posture, it can lead to artifacts even if your brain doesn't move.
Keep your eyes closed or even wear a blindfold.
It's much easier in an open MRI it's wider than a standard scanner, so patients shouldn't feel any walls touching them.
It's important that patients remove all clothing prior to their MRI exam. We ask patients to remove: All outer clothing, including shoes. Bras or any undergarment that could have metal in it.
Not intentionally. Many of our examinations require your cooperation and ability to follow commands to hold your breath to produce the images required to make a diagnosis. For those examinations, we will not allow you to fall asleep.
If You Have an Overactive Bladder
This feeling of urgency can make it harder to hold urine in. While you may still experience this urgency to a degree, not drinking for several hours before your procedure can make you less likely to experience incontinence during the scan.
Counting numbers or listening to music: Counting slowly or listening to a soothing melody can help distract you and make the time pass quickly while you are in the scanner. Talk to the Technician: In most instances, you can speak to the technician throughout most of the procedure.
For most MR exams, you may reposition your arms or scratch your face or body in between image acquisition, when the knocking has stopped. However, it is important that you not move the body part being imaged until the entire exam is complete.
Patients can be positioned in several different ways.
The Upright MRI is the only MRI scanner that can image patients in any position, whether it's sitting, standing, bending or lying down. This allows it to image any part of the body. All other MRIs can only scan patients while laying down.
Yes! Though we strive to make your MRI scan as comfortable as possible, the scan itself can still be stressful for some patients. We recommend that you bring a close friend or family member into the scanning room with you. They will be able to sit by your side during your Open MRI scan.
Since the MRI machines are magnets, it is best to not apply deodorants, antiperspirants, perfumes, or body lotions before the examination. These items contain metals that might interfere with the magnetic field inside the MRI machine and cause you to have distorted images and wrong results.
It's important not to drink a lot of caffeine before your MRI because caffeine will make your blood vessels constrict. If your scan is monitoring blood flow, constricted blood vessels will give you inaccurate results.
Adverse Events
Second degree burns are the most commonly reported patient problem. Other reported problems include injuries from projectile events (objects being drawn toward the MRI scanner), crushed and pinched fingers from the patient table, patient falls, and hearing loss or a ringing in the ear (tinnitus).
A single scan may take a few seconds or 3 to 8 minutes. You may be asked to hold your breath during short scans. The total scan lasts 15 to 90 minutes, depending on the size of the area being scanned and how many images are needed. You'll be moved out of the scanner when your scan is over.
You won't have pain from the magnetic field or radio waves used for the MRI test. But you may be tired or sore from lying in one position for a long time. If a contrast material is used, you may feel some coolness when it is put into your IV.
On imaging, the vaginal tampon takes the shape and orientation of the vaginal canal and resembles air in attenuation, because of the gas between the fibers. Occasionally, the string of the tampon may also be seen.
Please wear comfortable clothing. Cotton, polyester, and wool are best. Don't worry about the snaps or zippers on pants, as that metal can be allowed into the scanning facility. If you have questions about these procedures, please feel free to contact the study coordinator.
Things to remember
Unless you're told otherwise, you can shower and wash your hair the morning of your MRI. Don't use any hair products (such as hair spray or hair gel). Don't wear any metal objects. Remove all jewelry, including body piercings.
For most procedures, the patient goes into the MRI machine head-first, and the lower part of the body remains completely outside the machine. If you are having an MRI of your foot, knee or leg, you will go into the machine feet first, and your head and upper body will remain outside the machine.
MRIs show common structural abnormalities among patients with depression and anxiety. Magnetic resonance images have shown a common pattern of structural abnormalities in the brains of people with major depression disorder (MDD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD), according to a study to be presented at RSNA 2017.
Unless you're having an fMRI, any brain scans from traditional MRIs will only show structural elements. So, even if you feel a brief spike of stress in the beginning of your MRI before you start to relax, medical staff won't have access to any insights into your thoughts or feelings.