Training Children to Reduce Motion and Increase Success of MRI Scanning

In this review, we outline interventions that can be used with children to prepare them for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to limit their motion during medical imaging procedures. Children, especially those diagnosed with a developmental disability or other mental health challenges, may have difficulty remaining still for long periods of time. Children also experience fear, anxiety and curiosity in the MRI environment due to the noise, size of the machines, and overall overwhelming experience. These difficulties can affect the ability of researchers and other professionals to perform clinical tests such MRI, which require the child to remain motionless for the duration of the scan. A few studies have described methods used to prepare children for the MRI environment and train them for successful completion of the MRI scans. These include standard operating procedures as used in clinical scanning, such as appropriate information dissemination, standard physical restraint procedures and sedation. Other motion reduction techniques range from low-cost nontechnical but people heavy approaches, such as mock scanner training sessions, systematic desensitization and guided imagery techniques to more technical engineering type approaches, such as behavior feedback methods and the use of postprocessing motion correction algorithms.