Before you arrive to your MRI session, please ensure that you have gone over all of the questions below, as well as reviewed the safety screening form at the bottom of this page. On the day of the experiment, please arrive at the MRI Suite at least 5 minutes before your scheduled time. Ring the doorbell, and a researcher will greet you at the suite and brief you on the experiment in which you are about to participate.
MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, uses powerful magnetic fields to collect data. Therefore, metal items can be dangerous if they enter the magnet room. To ensure your safety, the researcher will screen you using a handheld metal detector to make sure there is no metal on your person. If you need to change clothing, a private bathroom is provided. Clean scrubs can also be provided, if required.
Once you have been screened, the researcher will walk you through another metal detector into the magnet room. The MRI machine can be very loud during operation. You will be provided with mandatory earplugs to protect your hearing. The researcher may go over any additional equipment you will use during the scan. Once you have been briefed on the equipment, you will then lay on the MRI bed with your head positioned in the head coil. The researcher will then move the bed into MRI machine. (The bore of the machine measures 60-70 cm in diameter.) The researcher will communicate with you via an intercom while you are in the bore and proceed with the experiment.
Once the experiment is complete, the researcher will remove you from the MRI machine and walk you back to the control room. You will then be debriefed on the experiment and given the opportunity to ask any questions.
Before your experiment, please go over all of the following questions:
Do you regularly wear a hairpiece, wig, or toupee?
If so, you will have to remove the item before entering the magnet room and the scanner. Therefore, it is recommended that you arrive without the item on the day of the scan.
Do you wear glasses?
MRI compatible glasses can be provided. However, the size constraints inside the scanner can make wearing glasses uncomfortable. If you have contact lenses, it is recommended that you wear them instead of your glasses on the day of the scan.
Do you wear colored contacts?
While normal contacts are allowed during the scan and are preferable to glasses, color contacts are not allowed due to the materials used to create the colored effect. It is recommended that you use normal, uncolored contacts on the day of your scan.
Do you wear any body piercings or jewelry?
All jewelry must be removed before the scan. This includes bracelets, necklaces, earrings, magnetic eyelashes, body piercings, and any other articles normally worn. You will have the opportunity to remove all jewelry before the scan, but it is recommended to be sure that all items are easily removable before your scan.
Do you have any Tattoos above the shoulder?
Unfortunately, we do not allow participants to be scanned if they have tattoos above the shoulder. Some tattoo inks (particularly black) may contain metal in the pigment. Therefore, there is a risk that the dye will heat up while in or very near the bore. Tattoos below the shoulder are allowed in the scanner.
What clothing should you wear for your scan session?
Please avoid wearing articles of clothing with metal components. This includes but is not limited to bras with underwire, belts with buckles, or jackets with large zippers or metal buttons. Scrubs can be provided on the day of the scan, but it recommended that you leave any clothing with metal components at home.
Can you wear exercise, anti-odor, or anti-microbial clothing to your scan?
Anti-odor and anti-microbial clothing usually contains silver microfiber threads. These threads are not allowed in the scanner, as they can heat up in rare cases. Please check that the clothing you wear to your scan session does not contain silver microfibers. Typical brands that use silver microfibers include but are not limited to Lululemon, Athleta, Omniheat, and Columbia. Scrubs can be provided on the day of the scan, but it recommended that you leave any clothing containing silver microfibers at home. If you are not certain whether a particular piece of clothing contains silver microfibers, please err on the side of caution and leave it at home.
Do you use an implanted birth control device, such as an IUD?
Currently, we only allow participants with the Mirena, Lippes Loop, or Liletta Intrauterine System to be scanned. If you have an IUD that is not listed, such as Paragard or Kyleena, you will not be allowed to be scanned in our facility. While these implants may be allowed in other facilities, at this point in time, we do not allow them in ours. Please reach out to your researcher if you have any questions.
Are you at all claustrophobic?
The scanner can feel small for those with claustrophobia or anxiety of tight spaces. The scanner’s bore is a cylinder that can have a maximum diameter of 60cm. If the prospect of laying in a tight, enclosed space makes you nervous at all, please reach out to your researcher before your scan session and inform them of your concern.
Have you recently done any work with metals (e.g. welding, grinding, etc.)?
Working with metals without the use of protective eye wear can result in metal shavings embedded in the eye. A participant may have metal shavings in their eye and not be aware of it. These metal shavings can cause harm when exposed to the scanner’s magnetic field. If you have worked with metals without protective eye wear, please reach out to your researcher before your scan session and inform them of your concern.
Have you recently experienced dizziness, loss of balance or loss of consciousness?
Our number one concern is the safety of our participants. If you have experienced any of the described symptoms, please contact your researcher before your scan session and inform them.
Do you have dental fillings?
Dental fillings are MRI safe and are allowed.
Do you have a permanent retainer?
While permanent retainers are allowed in our scanners, they can sometimes impact data quality. Thus, some researchers may wish to know if you have one before the experiment. Please reach out to your researcher before your scan session and inform them if you have a permanent retainer.
Do you have braces?
Braces are not allowed. Please reach out to your researcher before your scan session and inform them.
Have you ever been injured by a metallic object or foreign body (e.g. shrapnel, bullet, BB, etc.)?
The scanners create a very powerful magnetic field that can affect or pull ferromagnetic metals. This can cause harm if those metals are embedded in the participant’s person. If you have been injured by a metallic foreign body, please reach out to your researcher before your scan session and inform them.
Do you have sinus problems, breathing problems or motion disorders?
Sinus and breathing problems, as well as motion disorders, can cause participants discomfort while in the scanner. If you suffer from sinus problems, breathing problems, or motion disorders, please reach out to your researcher before your scan session and inform them of your concern.
Do you have any medical implant, including but not limited to: metal rods, screws, insulin pump, surgical staples, cochlear implant, drug infusion device, eyelid spring, vascular access port, or radiation seeds?
We need to ensure that every implant is MRI safe before they can be allowed in our scanners. If you do have a medical implant, please inform the researcher before your scan session. It may take time to confirm the safety of the implant.
To ensure that there will be no complications that prevent you from participating in your MRI experiment, please review the MRI safety screening form below. Your experimenter will have you fill out this form upon your arrival.
MRI Safety Screening Form Download (PDF)
Our MRI Suite is located in room C34, on the bottom floor of the Princeton Neuroscience Institute building. The map below has been provided for your convenience.
