Reactions of young children to the MRI scanner environment

Area of Science:

• Pediatric research
• Neuroimaging
• Child psychology

Background:

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a valuable research tool, but the enclosed environment can induce fear in children.
• Understanding children's fear prevalence and influencing factors is crucial for pediatric research design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the prevalence of fear in children aged 2-7 years exposed to an MRI research environment.
• To investigate the relationship between child age and successful completion of MRI procedures.
• To provide recommendations for sample size calculations in pediatric MRI studies.

Main Methods:

• Seventy children (aged 2-7 years) underwent a staged MRI exposure protocol.
• Willingness to proceed at each step was recorded to assess fear and determine the highest successful step.
• Statistical analyses, including correlation and Fisher's exact test, were used to analyze the data.

Main Results:

• 37 children (53%) successfully completed the MRI approach sequence.
• While not statistically significant, a positive correlation was observed between child age and highest successful step.
• Significantly more older children (6-7 years, 67%) completed all steps compared to younger children (2-3 years, 26%).

Conclusions:

• A substantial proportion of young children experience fear in MRI research settings.
• Age is a significant factor in children's ability to tolerate MRI procedures.
• Researchers should account for a minimum 50% failure rate in sample size calculations for studies involving children aged 2-7 years.