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Updated: Aug 3, 2026
Making MR Imaging Child's Play - Pediatric Neuroimaging Protocol, Guidelines and Procedure
Published on: July 30, 2009
Low-motion fMRI data can be obtained in pediatric participants undergoing a 60-minute scan protocol
Corey Horien1,2,3, Scuddy Fontenelle4, Kohrissa Joseph4
1Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA. corey.horien@yale.edu.
Insights
A mock scan, weighted blanket, and incentive system significantly reduce head motion during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans in children. This allows for high-quality, long fMRI scans in pediatric populations, including those with autism spectrum disorder.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Pediatric Neuroscience
- Brain Imaging Techniques
Background:
- Head motion is a major challenge in pediatric functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), confounding connectivity analyses.
- Shortening MRI protocols to reduce motion compromises data reliability and quantity.
- There is a critical need for methods to acquire high-quality, low-motion fMRI data in children without sacrificing data volume.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a multi-component strategy for reducing motion during pediatric fMRI scans.
- To demonstrate the feasibility of obtaining high-quality, low-motion data during extended (60-minute) fMRI sessions in children.
- To assess the generalizability of motion reduction techniques in a replication group including children with autism spectrum disorder.
Main Methods:
- Implementation of a mock scan protocol before the actual fMRI scan.
- Utilization of in-scan techniques including a weighted blanket and an incentive system.
- fMRI data acquisition in pediatric participants (ages 7-17) and a replication group including individuals with autism spectrum disorder.
Main Results:
- The combined strategy of mock scanning, weighted blanket, and incentive system successfully achieved low head motion during 60-minute fMRI scans in pediatric participants.
- Low motion levels were replicated in a separate group of participants, including those with autism spectrum disorder.
- The findings indicate the successful acquisition of high-quality fMRI data despite challenges associated with scanning pediatric populations.
Conclusions:
- A mock scan protocol, coupled with in-scan interventions, is effective in minimizing motion artifacts in pediatric fMRI.
- Extended fMRI scan durations are feasible in difficult-to-scan populations, including children and individuals with autism spectrum disorder.
- This approach enhances the potential for obtaining more reliable and robust fMRI findings in pediatric neuroimaging research.
Abstract:
Performing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans of children can be a difficult task, as participants tend to move while being scanned. Head motion represents a significant confound in fMRI connectivity analyses. One approach to limit motion has been to use shorter MRI protocols, though this reduces the reliability of results. Hence, there is a need to implement methods to achieve high-quality, low-motion data while not sacrificing data quantity. Here we show that by using a mock scan protocol prior to a scan, in conjunction with other in-scan steps (weighted blanket and incentive system), it is possible to achieve low-motion fMRI data in pediatric participants (age range: 7-17 years old) undergoing a 60 min MRI session. We also observe that motion is low during the MRI protocol in a separate replication group of participants, including some with autism spectrum disorder. Collectively, the results indicate it is possible to conduct long scan protocols in difficult-to-scan populations and still achieve high-quality data, thus potentially allowing more reliable fMRI findings.
