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Research type
Research Study
Full title
Upright Open MRI for brain imaging in children – a pilot study.
IRAS ID
273234
Contact name
Jennifer Boston
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 8 months, 1 days
Research summary
The purpose of this study is to establish whether it would be possible to obtain diagnostic quality MRI brain scans on young children using an upright MRI scanner.
Young children often do not tolerate MRI scanners very well due to the extremely loud noise and length of the scan. They can find it very frightening, and even if they can be encouraged to lie in the scanner, children are not used to keeping their whole body still for such a long time. Images are often blurred because they have moved during the scan, in the same way that movement causes blurring on a photograph. This means that the resulting scan will not be of diagnostic quality.
An MRI brain scan on average may take between 15 and 30 minutes, but depending on requirements, it could take over an hour. It is common practice for children under 7 years old, and frequently older, to require a general anaesthetic in order to complete the scan. This is both costly and time consuming. The child has to be admitted as a day case and is likely to spend a whole day in hospital. Performing the scan this way involves the need for a large team of professionals and the use of specialist equipment. There is also an element of risk with any anaesthetic. This pilot study explores whether children between 5 and 10 years would find shorter scans in an upright position using an upright open MRI scanner more manageable and less frightening. It will also look at whether adequate image quality could be achieved on children in this position to ensure accurate diagnosis.REC name
East of England - Cambridge East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/EE/0243
Date of REC Opinion
1 Dec 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion