Patient experience and movement frequency in young children during simulated ddMRI examinations

To assess the feasibility of dental-dedicated MRI (ddMRI), a non-ionizing imaging modality, for scanning children and to explore associations between age, sex, perceived experience, and movement during scanning.

Thirty-seven children age 8-14 underwent a mock ddMRI examination simulating the scan of an impacted canine (5 pulse sequences, total scan time 12'27 min) using a 0.55 T scanner and a dedicated dental radiofrequency surface coil. Perceived patient experience was recorded using a 5-point visual analogue scale (VAS) before and after the examination. Movements of the head and body were quantified and characterized from video recordings of the scan. Multiple linear regression analyses were applied to evaluate associations between log-transformed movement and age, sex, and VAS scores. Separate regression models were applied for pre- and post-scan VAS. Significance level was set at 0.05.

Number of movements during scan time was registered for the head separately (mean/median 6.3/0, range 0-82) and for the body in total (62/34, 0-430). Increased head movement was significantly associated with younger age (34%/year, p = 0.010). Overall movement was significantly associated with sex (M > F, 24.8% more movement, p = 0.010). Pre-scan VAS (mean/median 1,73/2, range 1-3) decreased significantly with increasing age (0.21 points/year, p = 0.035). Post-scan VAS (1.95/2, 1-3) was significantly higher in girls than in boys (0.6 points/year, p = 0.031).

Age and sex influence the child's experience and the number of movements during the mock scan. ddMRI may prove to be a feasible method for scanning children in a dental setting, offering a comfortable experience without ionizing radiation.

This paper is the first to demonstrate the applicability of ddMRI in a paediatric population, thereby laying the groundwork for future research into its use in diagnosis and treatment planning for children and adolescents.