i'm in mississauga. i asked for an mri but the doctor said to do a ct scan first. how long did it take for u to get an mri greenfrog?

My initial appointment was about two months off, but I was able to get an appointment within a couple of weeks once I followed up with the booking office to see if they'd had any cancellations. Every time I called them, they had at least one opening within the next few days.

confuused905 - If you are doing scan several weeks after your head injury it is better to do MRI than CT scan. With CT scan you also expose yourself to radiation. I did several MRIs after my mTBI (with/without contrast, blood flow in arteries, cervical spine etc.,). No one even suggested CT scan.

thats exactly what i thought. but my first neuro appointment isn't until November 25th. however, a spot should come up before then (so i've been told). i think my doctor wants me to do ct first and then by the time i see the neuro if i'm still having symptoms he'll recommend an mri. here's the thing. my family doctor doesn't even know what a "mild traumatic brain injury" is. he asked me what it is! i responded "its like a concussion".

Statistically, a CT is best when done at about 72 hours post concussion. Statistically speaking, before 72 hours, bleeds are too small. After that and they tend to be absorbed. If there are no specific symptoms that indicate serious neural deficit, any imaging at a later date will be negative. The microscopic damage common to concussion does not show up on CT nor MRI. It you have access to a high Tesla (5 and up) MRI that may be in a research hospital, it may be able to show fine damage.

Except for those bleeds that will likely show up with severe symptoms, there is rarely anything that can be done based on imaging. Their value is as a way to rule out more serious damage.

My brain has been imaged with CT, MRI, MRI/MRA, SPECT, EEG, VEP, AEP and qEEP. Most of these imaging studies were done without insurance coverage so the doctor did not prescribe them without serious concerns first. Only the VEP, AEP and qEEP have shown any deficits. In some people, qEEP can be used to direct volitional neuro-feedback to reduce some poor waveforms. In my case, my neuro combined my 40 year concussion history with the severity of my qEEG abnormalities to suggest that neuro-feedback would be of little help. He was surprised at my high level of functioning considering the severity of my qEEG results.

btw, If the MRI is an open MRI, it is not designed for any fine resolution. It is more oriented at diagnosing damaged organs and tumors and larger issues such as knee injuries.