Device helps children sit through MRI scans

Researchers at University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Research Institute (BMRI) have installed a simulator MRI machine to help prepare young patients for MRI scans.

The machine’s installation will allow for children, especially those with autism spectrum disorders, to be acclimatised to the scanning environment, increasing a child’s ability to remain still and gaining a better image.

During MRI simulation, a child is confined to a small space identical to an MRI and the same sounds are produced and played via speakers while the child is monitored by sensors.