The goal, then, is to describe our impressions in such a way that other clinicians and researchers who are seeing similarly related groups can identify them readily, and to provide a basic foundation so that professionals around the world can have a common set of criteria to discuss. When diagnostic issues are clarified, it is then much easier to examine pathways that might be responsible for different disorders. If there are in fact recognizable differences, for example, in the neuropyschological profile of different disorders, it will be necessary to develop different treatment strategies. It has been in use for more than 15 years and millions of people have had the procedure without injury. The MRI is not painful, but lying still on the scanning table in one position for a long period of time may be slightly uncomfortable.
Participants wear ear plugs, headphones or both to dampen the noise that the machine makes.
It is very important that study participants not move during the MRI scan. In cases where the participant cannot be desensitized and trained to stay still, we have the option of giving a short acting sedative medication for the procedure. Currently we are studying children age 7 and older, and adults of all ages. One study uses conventional MRI to obtain pictures of brain anatomy. Key brain structures are measured with sophisticated computer software to look for neuroanatomical abnormalities.