I’ve had 3, all for the brain, and the 2nd and 3rd were at successively higher energies for better slices and resolution. No contrast. It’s a little claustrophobic, but like Rick I simply closed my eyes and got into a zone and just relaxed. Tried to take a nap, and came close to napping.
I did not feel any pulsing but the sounds were a little weird. Anyway, they weren’t that big of a deal. I just followed directions so as to not screw it up and have to do it again.
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They do make one that permits upright scanning. In theory, the scans are more physiologic, but there are other sacrifices. Great for research and niche applications.
http://www.fonar.com/index.htm
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Not sure what you mean by “physiologic” but an upright MRI made the difference for me as it showed my L5 vertebra was unstable and moving. On a regular horizontal scan, it looked fine.
Yes, the resolution is less and after a while, it gets warm in there, but being able to see how things move when they shouldn’t move is well worth it.
I had an fMRI a few years ago, as part of a research study. An MRI tube isn’t topping my list of comfortable places to play stimulus-matching games, but it wasn’t all that objectionable either. The only part that made me nervous was that I’d come straight from the library, and had to walk through a door that warned me of a 3T magnetic field in a very large font, with a laptop, to check in. Left the bag in the admin office, and both the computer and I came out of it fine.
Next time I volunteer, I’m going to try for a study at Harvard instead of Brigham and Women’s. Harvard puts right on the recruitment flyer that your compensation will be some amount of dollars and pictures of your brain! They clearly know their audience.
Someone once told me of a study once where they put your brain on a t-shirt for you if you were a subject.
I had one recently on my wrist, and at certain times I experienced the pulsing/throbbing thing described in the op. In my case it was a sensation that my thumb wanted to move. I don’t think it actually moved, though.
I had one years ago, and it didn’t bother me at all except for being boring.
Somewhat off-topic, but I had an “evoked potential” test* on my hands and feet a few years back where the electrical stimulus had my thumbs moving. It was pretty bizarre.
And recently I was being monitored after a minor procedure, and they had to move the BP cuff to my forearm instead of upper arm. I was on my left side, and as I was coming out of the sedation, I heard them saying they were having trouble reading the BP so the cuff had to be moved - I said clearly “I’m not dead, I swear it!” which got a laugh. Anyway, as the cuff inflated, I could feel the fingers on that hand curling up. Clearly it was pressing a nerve or tendon or something.
haha…I found it out while having MRI too and then had the MRI in unconscious state after general anesthesia.